


Galaxies Can't Keep Us Apart

by GleeCastOST



Category: Warrior Nun (TV)
Genre: AU, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Science Fiction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:07:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 25
Words: 73,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28446648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GleeCastOST/pseuds/GleeCastOST
Summary: Ava's arrest and subsequent conviction break up her newfound friendships with Beatrice and Camila. After two years and a storied adventure for the both of them, somewhat dubious circumstances find the pair reunited.
Relationships: Shotgun Mary/Shannon Masters, Sister Beatrice/Ava Silva, Sister Camila/Sister Lilith (Warrior Nun)
Comments: 146
Kudos: 230





	1. The Sentencing

**Author's Note:**

> i dont know, so dont ask me (also, are you happy eiji? im writing sci fi)

_Autumn, 2189 - Aboard the Anguis, In Restricted Airspace above Terra 2_

“Miss Silva.” The Council leader addressed her with a cold, but polite, nod. Ava couldn’t help but shiver. His voice echoed in the ornate hall, despite the massive crowd. Ava’s indiscretion had been quite the scandal - yet no one besides the Council dared to speak. 

“Yes?” Ava finally found her voice as she looked up at the Council members. There were seven of them, one man representing each of the Council’s colonies amongst the cosmos. 

“Do you know why you’re here?” He asked, though Ava couldn’t help but wonder if the question was rhetorical. Was he trying to make a fool of her? Ava’s face had been on the cover of every Council-affiliated newspaper for the last three weeks. She’d signed countless papers and spent that time in prison. It must be rhetorical, then, surely. “Miss Silva? Would you care to grace the Council with an answer?” 

“Oh.” Ava hated how nervous she sounded. “Sorry. Yes. I know why I’m here.” 

“Good.” He folded his hands across the metal table that lined the front of the room. It was inlaid with rare materials and produced an odd blue glow. Idly, Ava couldn’t help but gaze at it. Truely, the table was lovely, but it’d probably cost more than a year’s pay for her. The decadence made her angry. 

“You’ve been accused of multiple affronts to the Council’s authority, across several settlements on Terra 2. In addition…” He shuffled through his papers, but Ava knew this was just for show. “Undermining local government ordinances and misappropriation of resources.” 

“That’s correct.” Ava tried to sound professional, but her voice shook. She felt so alone, standing up in front of the Council. They were, without exaggeration, the most powerful people in the universe. Though it wouldn’t have changed that dynamic, Ava wished Beatrice was by her side. 

“So you don’t deny your crimes?” A different councilman chimed in. He seemed equally as snake-like as the rest of them and dressed with unsurprising opulence. 

“No.” Ava hung her head.

“Really?” A third man chimed in, seemingly curious. He was older than the others, but no less out of touch with the struggles of the average citizens of the Council’s vast empire. 

“Really.” Ava forced herself to meet his gaze. “I know you have the evidence, or power, to convict me regardless of what I say. I did everything I’ve been accused of.” The crowd gasped at this admission and the energy in the room changed drastically. In the back row, wearing a hood to keep her anonymity, Beatrice hid a smile. Ava’s stubborn righteousness was nothing short of endearing. 

“Well…” The Council leader shuffled his papers once more and Ava resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “This certainly saves the Council significant deliberation time in regards to your case.” 

“Always here to help.” Ava muttered, before she could stop herself. Once again, there was a murmur through the crowd. 

“Very well.” The older councilman spoke. He didn’t seem amused. “Your punishment is as follows. You are hereby discharged from the Council Armed Services, effective immediately.” Ava didn’t flinch at this, it was as predictable a punishment as anything. But there was more. “You are banned from entering any and all Council-affiliated ships and you must forfeit your transport and firearm licences.” 

“What?” Ava couldn’t help but object. This was unheard of, even for crimes worse than hers. 

“I’m not finished.” He added with a grumpy glare. “You will be escorted from the Anguis directly following this proceeding. An escort team will take you down to the settlement in Fallbrook.

“What about my things? Will I at least be permitted to empty my cabin?” Ava knew her shred of decorum was fading fast. It wasn’t even her things she cared about, but she needed to say goodbye to Beatrice. 

“Your belongings will be sent down in four to six weeks.” He assured her with a somewhat creepy smile. “Any other questions?” 

“No.” Ava set her jaw and hardened her face. She’d shown enough weakness for one day. 

“Very well.” The guards stepped forward to re-handcuff Ava. She didn’t fight nor protest, despite her temptation to do so. While they walked her out, she scanned the crowd for Beatrice’s face. Ava didn’t see her. 

\-----

_Two weeks prior, Council Prison aboard the Anguis_

Ava sat in her cell. She didn’t feel remorse for what she’d done. Even after a week of questioning, Ava didn’t feel guilty. It was obvious that the Council had more than enough evidence to convict her. But when they were convinced that someone was an enemy, there was nary a chance of compassion. Given this, it had taken a week before Beatrice could get clearance to come visit Ava. 

“Hey.” One of the burly guards rapped at her cell door. Ava looked up at him, consciously keeping her expression blank. “You have a visitor.” 

“Is that allowed now?” Ava couldn’t keep the snark from her voice. 

“Watch the attitude.” He snapped as he unlocked the door. With rough movements, he fastened a high tech pair of handcuffs to Ava’s already raw wrists before leading her down the hall. 

In the nearly empty visitor’s room, Ava froze as she saw the woman she’d spent many hours thinking about. “Beatrice.” 

“Ava.” Beatrice stood to greet her, but the guard cautioned against it. 

“No touching.” He growled, before retreating halfway across the room. With a sigh, they sat down across from one another. 

“I didn’t think you’d come.” Ava admitted once they were somewhat alone. 

“Of course I would!” Beatrice could barely believe Ava’s words. “You must have really made the Council angry, though. It took me a week and an insane amount of paperwork to be allowed in.” 

“It seems I’ve made quite the enemy.” Ava noted with surprising indifference. 

“So it seems.” Beatrice leaned forward. “Please, tell me what you’ve done. The newspapers are vague and I’m not sure they can be trusted.” 

“No.” 

“Why?” Beatrice was taken aback at Ava’s refusal. 

“You know how the Council operates, Beatrice.” Ava’s tone was steely, but Beatrice’s heart pounded when Ava said her name. “If they think, even for a second, that you were involved in this, you’ll be irrevocably implicated.” 

“So what?” 

“ _So what?!”_ Ava echoed, poorly masking her frustration. “You’re one of the most promising young spacers and you want to... What? Throw that away? I couldn’t forgive myself for that.” 

“I don’t care about that.” Beatrice was nothing if not adamant. “The Ava I know wouldn’t commit heinous crimes. So I’m curious, understandably, as to why you are here.” 

“Maybe you don’t know the _real_ Ava.” Even as she spoke, Ava knew it sounded hollow. In truth, she’d only been friends with Beatrice for a few months, but Beatrice already knew her better than anyone. 

“Ava.” Beatrice desperately wanted to reach across the table and take one of Ava’s hands in her own. “Please. My parents have powerful positions on the board. I could help you.” 

“No.” Ava hung her head and sighed heavily, before looking up and meeting Beatrice’s gaze. “I couldn’t ask you to do that.” Beatrice had never gone into details, but Ava knew her relationship with her parents was contentious at best. 

“You’re really not going to tell me then?” Beatrice had tears in her eyes. It was then that Ava almost cracked. 

“I’m sorry.” Ava’s heart ached. “I’ve already thrown away my own life. I can’t take yours too. I’d never forgive myself.” 

“Is that even your decision to make?” Beatrice questioned. “You’re my best friend.” She was dangerously close to admitting her less platonic feelings, but now was far from the right time. 

“Please.” Ava begged. “You’re brilliant, talented, and you have a good heart. Stay the course. You have the power to change this broken world we live in.” 

“But -” 

“But you won’t if you throw away your career for a nobody like me.” Ava interrupted fiercely. “Please, Beatrice. Walk away now while you still have the chance.” 

“Fine.” Beatrice rose. Even in her anger it pained her to do so. “But I think you’re making a mistake.” 

“I know.” 

Without another word exchanged between them, Beatrice left the room. Ava didn’t blame her and wasn’t angry. At least, she wasn’t angry with Beatrice. She was plenty upset with herself. As the guard took her back to her cell, Ava couldn’t help but replay the conversation in her mind a dozen times over, then a hundred more that night. It would be the last conversation she and Beatrice would have for two years. 

\-----

_Later that Day, Anguis Docking Bay, Aboard CAS Vessel T1_

“Camila? Are you in here?” Beatrice called into the ship’s small workshop. Their last mission had left the vessel with significant damage.

“Yes, down here.” Camila replied from behind the tool bench. She was sitting cross legged in front of a complicated schematic and working with a few small components. Her hands were coated in engine grease. “Did you go see Ava?” She looked up from her work with a hopeful spark in her eyes.

“Yes…” 

“Why do I feel like you have bad news?” 

“Because I do.” Beatrice’s shoulders shook slightly. “She wouldn’t tell me what she did.” 

“Oh.” Camila stood up and hugged Beatrice tightly. 

“She’ll probably lose her position.” 

“I know.” Camila agreed solemnly. She liked Ava too, but couldn’t comprehend the reality. Ava was a good person, it was hard for Camila to imagine her in prison. And for what? 

“Her trial is in two weeks.” 

“I know.” Camila repeated, unsure of what else to say. 

“What can we do?” Beatrice pulled away from Camila and hastily wiped her eyes. 

“I’m sure if there’s anything we _can_ do, Bea…” Camila was nothing if not sympathetic. Not only to Ava’s plight, but Beatrice’s. She wasn’t blind to the mutual attraction between them, even if they were both too naïve to realise it. “You know how the Council is… Ava’s been enemy number one… Well, she’s been on the front page every day since she was arrested.” 

“That’s almost exactly what she said.” Beatrice muttered.

“And she’s right.” Camila hated the harshity of the situation, but she wasn’t wrong. “I could ask around, though. And you could as well. At the very least, we’d know what happened.” 

“I guess…” Beatrice was far from satisfied. “I better go, then. I have a few calls to make.” 

“Alright…” Camila was hesitant to let Beatrice leave in this state, but she had too much work to do. Tenderly, she hugged Beatrice once more. “I’m here for you, whatever you need, okay?” 

“Thank you, Camila.” Beatrice replied politely, if not slightly cold, before retreating her cabin aboard the ship.

Beatrice had been intending to go to her room, at least. Instead, she found herself outside of Ava’s. It was down the hall, closer to the nuclear power center of the ship. Fondly, Beatrice smiled as she remembered Ava joking about how she was going to mutate and grow an extra arm from being so close to the radiation. At the time, Beatrice didn’t know she was joking, and spent twenty minutes explaining how the fuel source was both safe and shielded. 

The smile fell from her face as Beatrice slid open the door. Ava’s room was exactly as it always was. Her bunk was unmade and her desk was messy. Slowly, Beatrice crossed the cramped room and sat down on the bed. It was only a moment before she laid down. The sheets and pillows smelt of Ava - and as odd as it may be, the familiarity made Beatrice cry. 

A few minutes passed, where the only motion in the room were the tears down Beatrice’s face. Eventually, she rose, and took a seat at Ava’s desk. The terminal was locked and Beatrice didn’t know the password. Of course, Camila could likely hack into it… But it seemed like too great an invasion of privacy. Besides, Ava disliked using the terminal and it likely wouldn’t contain any useful information. 

Underneath a laser pistol, Beatrice found Ava’s journal, which was open to a specific entry. This was strange, since Ava had written several pages since then, some of which she’d even shown to Beatrice. A quick glance at the date told her that the entry in question was from a few months ago, the day after a frustrating mission that they’d been on together. It was from a time before they were friends, and instead just acquaintances on the same crew. With a sigh, Beatrice pulled the journal closer to herself and began to read. She felt guilty for this, honestly, but if it contained even the tiniest clue to Ava’s crimes, then Beatrice knew she couldn’t help herself.

_May 27th, 2189_

_Yesterday was my first mission with this new crew I’m on. Everyone is really nice, but I still feel a bit like I don’t belong here. They’re all so experienced and I’m just… Not. Camila, for instance, is an absolute gem. She can take anything apart and put it together in half the time, with twice the efficiency. But she’s also a competent fighter and great with a gun. There’s also Beatrice, who’s a downright fantastic fighter. I’m pretty sure she’s a genius, too. And just… Pretty…_

At that, Beatrice had to look away for a moment. She was blushing despite her solitude. Part of her couldn’t help but wonder if Ava had just been being complimentary, or if there was more than just friendship on her mind. Frustratedly, she shook her head. There were more important issues to focus on right now. After a few deep breaths, Beatrice continued reading.

_Anyway, that’s about where the good news ends. I’ve never been to one of the outer settlements before. I knew they were struggling but… Well, it’s bad. Everyone there was sick and malnourished looking - it was beyond heartbreaking. There’s plague there, too. But apparently, the Council had been ignoring any pleas for help. While they sit in their decked out and completely ridiculous offices, no less. Sickening._

Beatrice couldn’t help but noticed that the ink was periodically damp and damaged, as though Ava had been crying when she wrote this. With a sinking feeling, Beatrice realised this was exactly the case. Her face fell even further as she read the last paragraph of Ava’s entry. 

_My captain says we’re not allowed to help local civilians in any way. I think that’s bullshit. Beyond bullshit, if we’re being honest. In my bag, I had four ration packs, even though it was a short mission. I gave them all away, plus asked Camila if I could have two of hers. Told her I ‘lost’ mine. She didn’t seem to question it. Maybe she’s realised I’m an idiot? Anyway, not important. I can skip a day’s worth of eating, but I can’t say the same of some of the people in Crater’s Edge. There has to be something I can do to help them._

\----- 

_That evening, Council Prison aboard the Anguis_

“Miss Silva.” One of the Council members all but appeared in front of Ava’s cell. 

“Yes.” Ava didn’t even look at him, but kept her gaze firmly fixed to the floor. She was already in prison, what was the worst he could do, really? 

“I’m here to make a deal with you.” He announced, as if she should be grateful. 

“Is that so?” Ava stayed completely cool, even as he entered the cell and whisked the guard away. She could easily kill him now that they were alone, but that wouldn’t help anyone. 

“I’ll be honest, I thought you’d be more excited. This isn’t an opportunity afforded to just anyone.” 

“You thought wrong.” Ava still hadn’t looked at him. 

“Do you want to at least hear what I have to say?” He asked. The fake kindness in the councilman’s voice was sickening. 

“Sure. Why not?” 

“We have agreed that, should you be willing to public renounce your actions and swear fealty to the Council, that you’d be granted a pardon.”

“Why, the _fuck,_ would I do that?” Ava stood, suddenly, closing the distance between her and the opulently dressed man. Yet, despite her occupation and training, he hardly seemed intimidated. 

“I’m sure you’re aware that your potential sentence will be quite harsh.” He straightened the collar on his purple robes. “I’ve been told you’re a promising young cadet. I’d hate to see you throw away such a career. Plus, I feel compelled to remind you that your situation can still get significantly worse.” 

“I’ve made my choices.” Ava sat back down. She felt numb. “I’m prepared to live with the consequences.” 

“So be it.” 

He left without another word. Only once Ava was sure that she was alone, did tears begin to fall to the floor. It brought her little peace. Of course, had Ava known what was in store for her, she might not have dismissed the deal quite as quickly.


	2. Shelter from the Sun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beatrice holds onto a better time, while Ava struggles to adjust.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the sun(light) or absence of it is SYMBOLISM. wow english teacher shit. its also emblematic of larger themes that i only just decided on right now because i literally dont outline, i just get a fucking ghost of an idea and run with it.

_Winter, 2189 - Anguis Docking Bay, Aboard CAS Vessel T1_

Beatrice knew she shouldn’t have taken it. She _knew_ that. But upon learning that Ava’s belongings weren’t being returned, but instead being kept as evidence, Beatrice had kept Ava’s journal for herself. At first, she wasn’t going to read any more of it than the entry she’d already looked over. This was a resolution that lasted all of a few minutes. Now, Beatrice had fully resigned herself to the slight neurosis and carried the journal everywhere. 

She’d read every single entry hundreds of times, to the point of memorising Ava’s handwriting. Beatrice knew where every tear stain, spilled beverage, and misspelled word was. More rationally, she felt as though the journal was the only thing keeping her close to the _friend_ she lost. Not that Beatrice hadn’t tried to find Ava, because she absolutely had. Even her wide web of contacts and plentiful resources hadn’t been of use. 

It was hard not to assume the worst. Beatrice wasn’t ignorant to the darker possibilities. Just because the Council had issued a punishment, didn’t mean they wouldn’t pursue additional discipline outside of the law. This was, like many of the other hard truths of living under the Council’s influence, a fact of life. Those who are seen as antagonists sometimes… Ceased to exist. 

Forcibly, Beatrice made herself take a deep breath. Maybe she was overreacting. She didn’t even know what Ava had done, despite months of searching. But, she was definitely getting closer to figuring it out. Some part of her drove on in her quest for information, as futile as it might be. Many tearful nights had led to Beatrice’s reluctant acceptance of her loss. Somewhat, at least. Yet this wouldn’t stop her from finding the truth. For her own closure, if nothing else. 

In an effort to calm down, Beatrice curled into her bunk. She had an extra blanket on it, since the cold, metallic interior of her room was always freezing. With calm and sacred reverence, she unearthed Ava’s journal from beneath her pillow and flipped it open to an entry somewhere in the middle. It was Beatrice’s favourite and one she returned to with alarming frequency. Or perhaps, frequency that _would_ have been alarming, if anyone knew what she was doing. 

_May 10th, 2189_

_Today was my first visit to Solis 6. I know, I know. How have I been in this line of work so long without going? I couldn’t tell you. Missions can be dreadful a lot of the time, but today was really great! Mostly, at least. People are suffering there, like they are elsewhere in the colonies. At this point, I’m no longer surprised by it. But it still makes me sad. Sometimes, it seems like the Council does more harm than good._

“Oh, Ava.” Beatrice whispered to herself as she wiped away a stray tear. “You don’t know how right you are. Or, will be.” Slowly, she turned the page and continued reading, happy to be reliving a memory with Ava. Well, sort of.

_But now, the good stuff. We broke for lunch outside of town. It was a nice day. Really nice. After spending day after day after day after day cooped up on the ship… Well, fresh air is something I never realised I would take for granted. Feeling sunlight on my skin was almost a religious experience. Except I got sunburnt after only a few minutes._

_Beatrice and Camila both warned me about this, so I can’t be too angry. Something about Solis 6’s proximity with the sun. I don’t know. Between that and the flowers they told me not to touch… Well, it was still a fun day and I learned some new things about the environment. That’s what counts, right?_

_It was still one of the best days I’ve had in a long time, despite that. Sometimes, it feels like the universe is (for once) lining everything up in your favour. The light was perfect and my Vim Pop tasted less battery-acid-y than normal. Speaking of the light, it made Beatrice look even more perfect than normal. There was a moment, where we were sitting together, and I thought… Oh, I can’t even write it. But that doesn’t mean I won’t be obsessively thinking about it - her - for the next several weeks!!_

With a timid smile, Beatrice shut the journal. Part of her stil felt like this was a massive intrusion and a huge invasion of privacy, but she couldn’t bring herself to stop, either. A sad sigh escaped her lips as she reflected on the words Ava had written. Sure, Beatrice had read this entry a hundred times. And doubly sure she’d been there on the day Ava was writing about. But reliving it through Ava’s personal and intimate lens was… Something else. Before she could reflect on it too deeply, Beatrice was asleep.

\-----

_Autumn, 2189 - Settlement in Fallbrook_

“At least they let me change out of my prison outfit.” Ava muttered as the landing craft’s engine flared and took her transport guards back towards the Anguis. The force from the take-off kicked dust into the air; it bit at her skin and burned her eyes. It was shockingly hot, especially for autumn. Beckoned forward by the rusty sign, Ava walked through the gate into Fallbrook. 

It was guarded, unsurprisingly, but no one stopped her from crossing into the settlement. That gave Ava pause, for a moment, but she realised it might not be sane humans that they were trying to keep out. A shaky, dusty breath filled her lungs. The air grew cooler as she continued forward. There was a thick shelf of rock that jutted out above her head, enclosing most of the settlement into a cave, which kept out the beating warmth of the sun. 

Ava wandered towards the back of the cave, not knowing what else to do. It had been years since she’d had this much freedom - an entirely overwhelming feeling. So, she let her feet carry her for now. Her mind could always catch up later. At the back of the cave there was a surprisingly clean waterfall, surrounded by lush plant life. A bioluminescent glow lit the eerie space. Ava felt calm, for a moment, until someone joined her at the water’s edge. 

“It’s not everyday I see a new face around here.” The woman said. Her voice was slightly raspy for her age, but she didn’t seem unkind. Of course, she didn’t seem particularly nice, either. 

“It’s not everyday I’m here.” Ava countered, unsure of what else to say. 

“You’ve got the look and posture of a Council drone. Are you here to spy on the settlement? You wouldn’t be the first.” 

“What?” Ava was taken aback. She didn’t know that the Council was sending spies into settlements, much less those that were considered ‘free.’ That is, unaffiliated with Council influence, but also without the benefits. “No. Sorry.” She shook her head. “That couldn’t be further from the case.” 

“So you’re a criminal?” 

“In some senses, yes.” Ava answered vaguely. She didn’t want to get into the details and the woman seemed fine with that.

“I can respect that. There’s a lot of hardworking criminals around here.” She extended a hand. “Gretchen.”

“Ava.” Ava shook her hand firmly. 

“So, Ava.” Gretchen looked around, as if making sure they weren’t overheard. “How did you end up in this neck of the woods.” 

“Long story short I was kicked off the Anguis.” Ava muttered, still frustrated with the situation. More importantly, still frustrated with _someone,_ and her painful absence. “I’d rather not get into it.” 

“I can respect that.” Gretchen replied with an odd sort of smile. “What are you going to do now? From what I’ve heard, it’s quite a regimented life up there. You might not be used to freedom.” 

“That’s an understatement.” Ava was impressed that Gretchen had managed to sum up her feelings so succinctly. “And to answer your question, I have no idea. I wasn’t even permitted to take my belongings.” 

There was a short silence, before Gretchen asked Ava a fateful question. “Can you handle yourself with a weapon?” 

“Yes, but…” Ava hesitated. She’d scored high marks at the academy for marksmanship, but there was the whole legal business with the Council. “I’ve recently lost my firearm licences.” 

“Oh, Ava.” Gretchen barely suppressed a laugh. “You’ve got a lot to learn. Come with me. There’s an inn around the corner. We’ll see what we can do about getting you a drink, a room, and maybe a job.”

Somewhat reluctantly, Ava followed her. This seemed, and most likely was, shady. At _best._ But what other choice did she have? All of her belongings were still up in space, literally, and her assets were indefinitely frozen by the Council. In honesty, they’d done all they could to condemn her to further crimes. Crazy how that works out sometimes. 

Inside the inn, a small contingent of armed mercs sat in one corner, barely visible in the dim lights. There was a clear path of red dirt leading from the doorway to the bar, where a young man stood calmly cleaning the counter. It was dingy and seemed dangerous, but Ava was still lost in her own freedom, and didn’t entirely grasp the gravity of the situation at the time. 

With an air of authority, Gretchen showed Ava to a table in the back, while gesturing to the bartender. A minute or two later, he appeared at their table, two drinks in hand.

“House special, for you and your friend.” He said politely, throwing a quick wink in Ava’s direction. The gesture made her blush, even in its superficial nature. 

“Thanks, Anthony.” Gretchen smiled while he retreated back to his post. From this vantage point, Ava could see a surprisingly well-stocked gun rack hidden beneath the liquor display. 

“It’s called the Fallbrook Fall-Down.” Gretchen explained while stirring her ominously dark drink. Ava eyed her own beverage curiously. “Local special. Kind of a gross mix of ingredients that I won’t divulge, but it works together. Trust me.” Tentatively, Ava took a sip, surprised to find that Gretchen was right. 

“It’s not bad, actually.” 

“Glad to hear it.” Once again, she glanced around, to ensure they weren’t overheard. “Look, I’ll cut to the chase, because I don’t like people who mamby pamby about instead of getting straight to the point. I need someone capable and discreet.” 

“I can be both those things.” Ava replied, nothing short of cryptic. Her naïvety made it hard for her to imagine what Gretchen was insinuating. 

“Good, good.” She paused in thought. “There’s a lot to like about living in a free settlement. Decisions don’t need to be raised up an insane and bureaucratic ladder, and we aren’t slaving away in a factory making terrible money. There isn’t a constant big brother breathing down your shoulder. You’ve come from the Anguis, so I’m sure you get what I mean.” 

“I do.” Ava nodded. She’d resented the Council and their ways long before her internment. 

“But free settlements also have unique… Challenges.” Gretchen sighed and took a long swing of her drink. “Sometimes, it’s a roving pack of feral mutants that’s terrorising supply lines, other times a Council informant needs to be shaken down for information. Decisions need to be made quickly and without too much deliberation. Maybe I’m going out on a limb here, but I’m a good judge of character. What do you think?” 

“You’re asking me to work for you?” Ava asked, though the question was largely rhetorical. She knew what Gretchen was asking, though she wasn’t entirely sure if she should take the job. Then again, what other choice did Ava have? 

“Precisely.” 

“And in return, I’ll have a place to stay?” 

“I mean, more than that, in time.” Gretchen’s words were enticing, but Ava didn’t have a reason not to trust her. 

“I need to get a message to someone.” Ava announced, shocked by her own words. Maybe the alcohol was getting to her head, or maybe her thoughts of Beatrice finally became overwhelming. “Someone still on the Anguis.” 

“That can be arranged.” Gretchen nodded. “Not easily, mind you, since you’ll need access keys to send messages through Council frequencies. You’ll probably be able to turn up a set sooner or later though. All sorts of contraband comes through here.” 

“Alright…” Ava’s skin crawled slightly. What was she getting into here? 

“So you’re in then?” 

“I suppose I am.” Ava finished her drink. “What’s my first job, boss?” She added the last word with a light little laugh.

“I’ll need to make some arrangements for you tonight. Get you a weapon, some armour, maybe a propulsion cycle…” Gretchen was stating this aloud for her benefit as much as Ava’s. As she pondered, Anthony returned with two fresh drinks. 

“Thank you.” Ava replied quietly. 

“Any time.” He told her with a shy nod. 

“We’ll start easy.” Gretchen decided. “I have a contact, an old friend of mine, who lives a few klicks north of here. Not in a settlement, mind you, but in an abandoned factory. Bit of an eccentric dude.” Her explanation was both terrifying and exciting. “I will make some acquisitions tonight. Can you come find me in the morning?” 

“Sure.” Ava was scared to say more - scared that the alcohol might be talking instead of her. She could see now why they called it a ‘Fall-Down.’

A few minutes later she was shown to her room, a modest but respectable affair above the inn. With literally no belongings other than the clothes on her back, Ava wasted little time in indulging in a quick, drunken cry. She missed her room on the ship and she missed her crew. Well, Beatrice in particular, but Camila was also a great friend. Before she fell asleep, Ava wondered if she’d ever see them again. 

\-----

_Three weeks later - Settlement in Fallbrook_

Beatrice internally cursed herself as her boots crunched across the dusty path. She’d meant to come after Ava sooner, but between work and the Council’s observance, it was hard to sneak away. Even now, Camila was covering for her at a settlement to the south. Were she to be caught here, it’s likely she’d face suspension. Though, given her association with Ava, the punishment could have likely been worse. 

“Hey!” One of the guards shouted as Beatrice crossed through the gate into the settlement. “We don’t like your type around here.” 

“My type?” Beatrice immediately thought of a dozen different aspects of herself he might have a problem with. And while she wasn’t opposed to fighting her way through, she definitely preferred not to. 

“Council lackeys.” He spit. Beatrice looked down at her uniform, at the golden pin affixed to her lapel. She hadn’t had time to find a fitting disguise, though her mannerisms likely would have given away her pedigree all the same. 

“I’m not here on official business.” Beatrice promised. He didn’t seem convinced, so Beatrice slipped him a quick bribe. “Who’s in charge around here?” 

He paused for a moment, looking between Beatrice and the money. After a short deliberation, he must have determined that Beatrice either wasn’t a threat, or too much of a threat to deal with. 

“Gretchen. Can’t miss her. She’s probably at the bar. Down the path to the left.” He barked before turning back to his post.

“Thanks.” 

Beatrice found the bar easily enough. It was a warm afternoon and there were already drunk men strewn about the chairs outside. Their cups were full of some mysteriously dark concoction that smelt like sweet leather. Even the scent made Beatrice’s head spin. Inside, there was only a single woman, who Beatrice correctly presumed to be Gretchen. She didn’t allow herself time to be nervous and instead just approached her. 

“Woah, woah, woah.” Gretchen held up her hands upon seeing Beatrice. “I don’t know why they are sending troops after me. I haven’t done anything illegal. At least, not that anyone can prove.” 

“I’m not here on official business.” Beatrice repeated what she told the guard. “I’m looking for someone.” 

“Oh? And who might that be?” Gretchen was eager to help, for the sole reason that she’d rather have Council forces out of her town as soon as possible. 

“Ava Silva.” Beatrice reached into her pocket and pulled out a photo for reference. “I have it on good authority that she landed here a few weeks ago.” 

“You’re right.” Gretchen nodded, surprisingly forthcoming with what little information she had. 

“Is she here?” Beatrice couldn’t keep the hope from bleeding into her voice. 

“No. I’m sorry. She disappeared only a few days after arriving.”


	3. Same Old Song and Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beatrice finally gets the evidence she's looking for.

_ Winter, 2189 - Docking Bay Aboard the Anguis _

Beatrice’s boots echoed against the metallic walkways that stretched between space faring vessels. It was late and the lights were mostly off, as if to simulate evening. There was no real distinction of day and night when you weren’t on-world, and Beatrice always found the lighting changes and shop schedules somewhat gimmicky. She must have been alone in this, though, as the docking bay was nearly abandoned. Autonomous cleaning robots roved around, sweeping and mopping the dusty oil stains from the floor. 

At the very end of the massive chamber, Beatrice caught sight of a dark figure, no more than a silhouette. She quickened her pace, correctly assuming that it was her contact. It was hard not to be nervous and Beatrice could feel her hands shaking. What they were doing was subversive at best and fully illegal at worst. Truth be told, Beatrice found herself caring less and less about her job with each passing day. Months had passed since she’d seen Ava, though her thoughts of the woman never quieted, never diminished in intensity. 

“Beatrice. Long time no see.” Lilith greeted her formally, but with a surprising amount of warmth, all things considered. 

“Likewise.” Beatrice politely shook Lilith’s hand. “Thank you, by the way. I know this was far from easy information to procure.” 

“You’re correct, but I owed you a favour.” Lilith replied in a whisper, referencing an incident a few years ago, when they’d both been in the academy together. 

“I have to disagree, but I am beyond thankful for the information.” Beatrice said as Lilith handed her a datapad. 

“It’s… A lot. You might not like everything you see.” Lilith avoided Beatrice’s gaze as she spoke, instead opting to stare at the cold floor. 

“No surprises there.” Beatrice mumbled. The datapad felt heavy in her hands, moreso a trick of the mind than a result of it’s literal heft. 

“Also, there’s this.” Lilith handed her a second, smaller device. “It’s for Camila, so don’t read it.”    
“Oh?” Beatrice raised an eyebrow. “Alright…” She continued once she realised Lilith wasn’t going to elaborate. “I’ll make sure she gets this, then.” 

“Thank you.”

“How have you been?” Beatrice couldn’t help but ask. It’d been awhile since she had seen Lilith, but had heard that she was working for the board in some capacity. Like Beatrice’s parents, Lilith’s were also well-connected.

“You know, same old song and dance.” Lilith replied with a knowing smile. “I have to imagine it’s the same for you.” 

“You have no idea.” Beatrice whispered. The world and society they were both forced to live in was borderline unbearable at times. Between the cruelty, the suffering, and the inequality, there was a lot to resent. Yet, both women weren’t blind to their good fortune, a guilty mark on their consciences. 

“Well…” Lilith moved to leave. “Maybe I’ll see you around.”

“Maybe.” Beatrice nodded, knowing there was only a slim chance of it. “Thanks.” 

Her walk back to the ship was as hurried as it could be without running. After a seemingly interminable amount of time, Beatrice breezed through the deactivated airlock. She had been meaning to rush straight up to her cabin, but a voice called from the workshop, which was adjacent to the stairwell. 

“Bea? Is that you?” Camila’s voice echoed against the metallic walls of the ship.

“Yes.” Beatrice sighed and walked into the other room. Camila was elbow deep in a deployable plasma turret. They were new acquisitions from the Council’s research department, but they broke down constantly and were more of a hazard than a help. “I don’t know why you keep fixing that thing. It’s worthless.” 

“We’re meant to be using them…” Camila trailed off as she wiped the engine grease from her hands. She knew as much as Beatrice, if not more, that these things were an accident waiting to happen. But their captain had ordered repairs, so she found herself up late trying to complete them on time. “Did you get it?” Camila asked excitedly. She too wanted to know what had happened. 

“I did.” Beatrice nodded, unwilling to elaborate, just in case. 

“Can we go through it?!” 

“I -” 

“You wanted to go through it alone, didn’t you.” Camila was nothing but understanding. Though she hadn’t commented on it, she wasn’t blind to the effects that Ava’s sudden departure had on Beatrice. 

“I promise I’ll tell you everything…” Beatrice whispered. “Oh! There’s something for you, too.” She handed Camila the datapad that Lilith had given her. 

“Oh. Thank you.” Camila’s expression was completely unreadable. 

“I didn’t realise you and Lilith were close.” 

“I have secrets too, Bea.” Camila winked, before retreating from the room. Beatrice followed a moment later, content to lock herself away and go through the data. 

While Beatrice had  _ intended  _ to go to her own cabin, she found herself in Ava’s instead. It was far from the first time. With sacred worship in her movements, she connected the datapad to Ava’s computer and curled up in the chair to read it. There were dozens of files on here, way more than she had expected. 

Timidly, Beatrice opened the first file, entitled:  _ Security Footage E.1.  _ It was dark, in space. Quickly, Beatrice realised it was an exterior camera on one of the Council’s massive supply vessels. She wasn’t aware that they even  _ had  _ security cameras, but it made sense. Before she could reflect on it too much, a much smaller vessel pulled up alongside the cargo pods. A military vessel. 

A tiny, digital Ava jumped from the craft a moment later. Beatrice only recognised her from the stickers she had unceremoniously stuck on the visor of her helmet. For a moment, Beatrice almost felt compelled to chastise Ava for journeying into open space without a tether. It was not only dangerous, but something she’d already been written up for a dozen times. With a sigh, Beatrice realised there was a lot more at stake than the safety violation and the unauthorised use of CAS vessels. Doubly so when it was for crime.

Ava pulled a plasma cutter from her belt and made quick work of the connectors that held the storage pods to the ship. With equally fast movements, she reattached them to her own vessel. The whole operation took maybe two minutes, but seemed too well planned for Ava to have been acting rashly - as she was sometimes known to do. Beatrice knew at that moment, though she’d had suspicions, that this crime had been premeditated. She was frustrated that Ava hadn’t told her, though Beatrice wouldn’t have admitted it if asked. 

Curiously, Beatrice clicked on a second file, labelled:  _ Colonist Reactions.  _ There were dozens of photos, from various monitoring points within settlements on Terra 2. Beatrice recognised the Council supply boxes almost instantly. They littered the streets, overflowing with much needed goods. Even in pictures, it was clear that the settlers were overjoyed. Rightfully so, since they barely had access to necessities, doubly true with the scant wages they were paid. 

More and more, Beatrice felt angry. On the day Ava was arrested, Beatrice had suspected that the crime wasn’t actually  _ bad. _ This only confirmed her suspicions. Frustratedly, Beatrice ran a shaky hand over her hair. It was obvious why the details were never published in the paper, yet the Council was so desperate to paint Ava as a villain. With a sad smile, Beatrice wondered if Ava knew the effect her actions had in the settlements. 

Beatrice spent another few hours going through all the files. Lilith had been right, of course, about Beatrice not liking what she saw. Did Lilith think Ava’s crime was despicable or was she too harbouring anti-Council sentiments? It was impossible to know for sure, especially these days. 

Just as Beatrice had been about to call it a night, she stumbled upon the personal statements about Ava. The Council had been thorough, that’s for sure. It was clear that the parties they’d contacted for statements on Ava’s character were stilted in one direction. For all the beautiful soul and charm that Beatrice saw in her, there were others who only saw the opposite. In short, Ava was a polarising woman. 

It made Beatrice feel sick to scan the list of names and statements. They ranged from mean to downright false. Sure, there were  _ occasional  _ sentences that rang true, such as those that referenced Ava’s recklessness. But everyone seemed to have coordinated, because each witness took specific care to call Ava selfish - and insulated that she was working against the common good. Beatrice couldn’t think of anything more antithetical to Ava’s personality. 

It was the last statement that truly gave her pause. Her commanding officer, and formally Ava’s, had been the final nail in the coffin. She’d never liked Ava, that much had always been clear, but this was an insanely low blow. Slowly, Beatrice rose, suddenly desperate to talk to Camila. There were a thousand ideas rattling around in her mind, but she needed the input of a trusted friend to ensure she wasn’t going crazy. Ava had that effect sometimes, even in her extended absence. 

\-----

_ Autumn, 2189 - Wilds Beyond Fallbrook Settlement  _

Ava’s boots created a barely perceptible path through the flowing, purple grasses. It was nice, being outside. Sure, the dust burned her eyes and got caught in her hair, but it was still nice. Gretchen was a criminal, that much was clear. They’d only worked together for three days, but Ava had witnessed a heap of criminal activity. 

While it bothered Ava somewhat, she didn’t feel as conflicted as she thought she might. Rarely was anyone killed; the weapons were more for protection from the dangerous animals in the region. Most of the crime, it seemed, revolved around trading and securing counterfeit goods. And since Ava was a criminal herself, she didn’t exactly feel qualified to pass judgement.

So far, everyone had been nothing but nice to her. It seemed everyone else understood what it was like to be forgotten by the Council, to live outside its sphere of wealthy influence. This only cemented Ava’s strongly held beliefs. Of course, it didn’t hurt that working for Gretchen had already made her a month’s worth of a pay, had she remained a CAS member. 

Her breath grew slightly laboured as she climbed up a rocky slope. There was a small crashed Council vessel that Gretchen wanted Ava to investigate. According to her intel, there were no survivors, otherwise the Council might have made more of a retrieval effort. Still, the ship could be home to valuable salvage or goods. 

As Ava crested the ridge, she saw it. There was a spectacular crater, with broken metal and burnt foliage marring the otherwise untouched landscape. She quickly made her way towards it, careful to avoid any of the stinging plants. With a tiny smile, she remembered trying to pick them once, much to Beatrice’s chagrin. All things considered, Ava was doing well so far. She fit in and people didn’t dislike her, which was already more than she could say for her time aboard the Anguis or in the academy. Yet, during every spare moment, her thoughts flew to Beatrice. Ava knew that she would never, in a million years, forget her. 

She drew closer to the wreckage, almost completely distracted by her thoughts. That didn’t stop her from noticing several footprints in the dirt. Odd. 

“Hello?” Ava called out as she began to rush forward. Maybe there  _ were  _ survivors! “Is anyone there?!” For several seconds, there was no response, no sound, nothing that would have indicated a sentient presence. 

This changed, however, when a laser fired, only narrowly missing the back of her head. “Shit!” Ava cried, before diving behind a piece of the wreckage. Her academy training took over then and she unholstered and loaded her weapon before she was entirely cognisant of what was happening. A second shot melted the metal dangerously close to Ava’s face and she could hear her assailant’s weapon charging up for a third shot. 

Frustrated, she rose from her cover and tried to get a shot off before he could shoot her. What she had expected, on rising, was a bandit. There were several roving gangs, who occasionally competed with Fallbrook for resources. What she hadn’t been expecting, however, was a Council officer in full military gear. The shock of it almost drove her to her knees, but the subsequent blow to the head definitely did. Ava was unconscious before she hit the ground.


	4. Upheaval

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beatrice and Camila find opportunity in upheaval. Ava does the same.

_ Autumn, 2189 - Wilds Beyond Fallbrook Settlement  _

Ava was aware of the sick swinging before she was entirely conscious. For a fleeting, half-lucid moment, she worried she was on a boat. Quickly, as her senses returned, she realised she was slung over one of the troop’s shoulders. The unforgiving metal of the armour was pressing painfully into her stomach and her head ached. She didn’t dare move though, at least not yet. 

“We were supposed to  _ kill  _ her. Why are we walking all over this horrid planet?” The soldier who was holding her asked his superior officer, who from the sound of it, was walking in front of them. 

“It would be stupid to risk killing her there. We need to be careful how we do this, lest we create a martyr out of her.” 

“Where are we going then?” He sounded impatient.

“Relax.” The officer urged him, barely disguising the annoyance in his voice. “We’re almost there.” At that, Ava had to refrain from shuddering. Panicked, she tried to think of a plan, of an escape. After a moment, Ava at least had a faint breath of an idea. 

There was a panel on the back of the soldier’s armour. Ava only recognised it because she’d helped Camila fix similar suits of armour several months ago. Beneath it, the wiring and electrical components for the suit’s servos were held. With the tiniest movements, Ava gently pried off the panel and held it in her mouth. She didn’t want to risk dropping it to the ground, lest the troops heard the noise it would make. 

Inside, there was a mess of multicoloured wires. This was about where Ava’s expertise ended. Had Camila been there, she likely would have an elegant solution. Instead, Ava yanked all the wires from the small cavity, before continuing to feign unconsciousness. There was a sudden electrical discharge noise as her captor’s armour malfunctioned. 

“Shit.” He muttered. “My suit’s gone haywire. Can you take her for a moment?” 

“Yeah.” The superior officer took Ava rather coarsely, while his charge monkeyed around with the front panel of his suit. It was completely unresponsive, however, after the damage Ava had done. Timidly, Ava withdrew the soldier’s laser pistol from the holster on his hip. “Hey!” He shouted, noticing her movements. 

It was too late, though. Ava slid from his shoulder, slightly clumsy, but fired a quick round through his skull. She followed up with a second through the other’s head a moment later. Their scarlet blood soaked into the dry, cracked dust, and Ava stood and watched it for a moment. Trying to be logical, Ava pulled a holopad from the officer’s corpse, before making a run from the scene. These were  _ Council  _ officers, and high-ranking ones at that. Being caught murdering them would be a death sentence. Or at least, another one.

Ava did what she needed to do that day. She disappeared. 

\-----

_ Winter 2189, Civilian Housing Aboard the Anguis  _

It had been a week since Camila and Beatrice resigned in unison. They didn’t give their commanding officer a reason, obviously, but after her testimony against Ava - alongside all the other Council bullshit… Neither of them could stay at their posts in good conscience. Thanks to a reluctantly accepted favour from Beatrice’s parents, they’d managed to secure a civilian apartment aboard the Anguis. It was a surprisingly difficult task, but both women were grateful. Not just for the lodging, but also to have a friend during such a time of upheaval. 

Of course, sometimes upheaval comes in stages. Beatrice had been reading while Camila tinkered with a small robot, when a knock on the door interrupted them both. They exchanged a nervous glance before rising to answer it. There was an unsaid terror between them, had someone found out about the data Lilith had given them? Cautiously, Beatrice swung open the door, with Camila by her side. 

“Hi.” 

“Shannon?” Beatrice hadn’t seen her in years. 

“I heard you quit your job.” Shannon gave her a knowing smile. “Can we come in?” 

“Oh! Yes, of course.” Camila answered, leading them both inside. 

“This is Mary.” Shannon introduced the slightly surly looking woman beside her. She had sharp eyes, but much more strikingly, a cybernetic arm. 

“No way…” Camila breathed, looking at the piece of hardware that was Mary’s left arm. “That’s a Cyber AUG X1…”

“You certainly know your cybernetics.” Mary chuckled, before extending her other hand to shake Camila’s and Beatrice’s. 

“I…” Beatrice looked between Camila and Mary, trying to suppress a smile at Camila’s genuine curiosity. “Sorry, I don’t mean to be rude, but what brings you here?” 

“Why don’t you take a seat?” Shannon suggested, nodding towards the seating area in the middle of the room. Whatever she was going to say, it was clear that it would be heavy. 

“Should I be nervous?” Beatrice asked as she sat down, though it was a moot point. She was already nervous. 

“I suppose that depends on your point of view.” Mary answered cryptically. 

“You know what the OCSF is, right?” Shannon inquired at the same time.

“Yes, of course.” Beatrice had learned of it in training. “The Outer Colony Surveillance Force. But they split from the Council decades ago - last I heard it was all but abandoned.” 

“Think again.” Mary grinned.

“Far from it.” Shannon nodded. “We operate covertly most of the time. Out of necessity, really. If the Council knew what we were doing… Well, it wouldn’t be good. I’ll leave it at that.” 

“What is it you do, exactly?” Camila took the question right from Beatrice’s thoughts.

“In the short term, we’ve been working to create better conditions in the colonies.” Shannon explained. 

“And in the long term?” Beatrice was nothing short of intrigued. 

“Um…” Shannon lowered her voice to a faint whisper. “It’s ambitious, sure, and the plan is in its infancy… We’d like to see the Council dismantled, eventually. This system… It can’t go on like this.” 

“Agreed.” Beatrice mumbled. 

“As you can imagine, our recruiting process is difficult.” Mary began, earning an understanding look from both Beatrice and Camila. “I mean, we had to forge papers to even enter this section of the Anguis. We’ve read over both your files - which were impressive to say the least. There’s spots on our crew for the both of you, if you’re willing.” 

“We can’t promise a life of luxury, but you’ll be treated fairly. More fairly than CAS troops, at least.” Shannon added.

“I…” Beatrice knew she was in, but hesitated for a moment. “Is the OCSF network still connected?” Back in the branch’s heyday, they’d presided over a massive network of monitoring equipment that spanned across the entire galaxy.

“Yeah, why?” Mary raised an eyebrow. 

“Let me preface this by saying  _ I’m in. _ ” Beatrice took a deep breath. “But there’s someone I’m looking for.” 

“Who?” Shannon was undeniably curious. 

“Ava Silva. She was on the cover of every -”

“I know who she is.” Shannon interrupted with a kind smile. “Outside Council-affiliated networks, she’s garnered quite a reputation.” 

“Do you know where she is?” Desperation bled into Beatrice’s tone despite her best efforts. 

“Mmm… No.” Shannon hesitated. “I don’t know how to tell you this, but…” 

“The Council’s taken several hits out on her.” Mary jumped in. “So far, they haven’t been successful, but it certainly makes her more difficult to find.” 

“I understand.” In truth, the thought of Ava being in so much danger and constantly on the run made Beatrice feel sick. How could one woman hope to stand a chance against such a well-equipped and well-funded entity? 

“But our missions take us all over the galaxy and through settlements big and small. If anyone can find her - it’s us.” Shannon added. 

“Alright.” Beatrice nodded respectfully.

“Camila, what about you?” Shannon addressed the curly haired woman, who’d been silent for a few minutes. 

“I have a few questions, but I think I’m leaning towards the same answer as Beatrice.” 

“Shoot.” Mary replied. 

“First, what colour are the uniforms?” At that, everyone laughed, having expected a much more serious concern. 

“They’re black.” Shannon reported with a grin. “Some of the tactical gear is blue.” 

“Follow-up question.” Camila grinned widely. “Is there a workshop aboard your ship and does said ship have a name?” 

“Yes, it does. We need a capable engineer, actually.” Shannon told her, making Camila’s smile even bigger. “And our ship’s official designation is OCFS - IX5, but Mary calls it the Crusader.” 

“Cool name.” Beatrice whispered.

“Okay. Final question, I promise.” Camila’s smile faded as she gathered her thoughts. “Say, hypothetically, I knew someone who would make an excellent addition to your team. Obviously, I know I’ve only  _ just  _ signed on, but she’d be a fantastic asset.” 

“I’d say, hypothetically, that you should set up a secure meeting and talk to her.” Shannon told her kindly. 

“Just like that?” Camila was understandably surprised.   
“Just like that.” Mary rose from her chair. “How soon can you both be on Solis 4?” 

“Solis  _ four? _ ” Beatrice was clearly stunned. “It’s uninhabitable.” 

“Mostly.” Mary gave a short laugh. “But it’s central and has a great atmosphere for long distance communications.” 

“Well…” Beatrice looked around the scant apartment. “I can’t speak for Camila, but I can be ready to leave in less than an hour. Our lives were just upheaved, so there wasn’t really time to put down roots.” 

“I’m both happy and sorry to hear that.” Shannon told her genuinely. 

“I think I agree with Beatrice…” Camila added in a tentative whisper. “I’m ready to leave this place.” And that they did. 

\-----

_ Ninety Minutes Later, Aboard the Crusader  _

“It ain’t much…” Mary joked as she led everyone through into the entryway of the ship. “But it’s home, most of the time.” 

“It’s nicer than any CAS vessel I’ve ever served on.” Beatrice mumbled. 

“It’s a decommissioned smuggler’s vessel. Criminals like to travel in style.” Shannon explained. “Sure, the cabins are still tiny, but the faucets don’t constantly break and the heating actually works.” 

“Here’s the workshop.” Mary gestured to the left, where a surprisingly roomy and well-stocked room was located. Camila’s eyes grew wide at the sight. 

“It’s… Beautiful.” She murmured, making Beatrice feel particularly glad for her presence. It’d been an incredibly difficult few months, but Camila had helped her immensely. 

“And if you’ll follow me…” Mary turned and headed up a narrow staircase.

On the second floor, a tight corridor spanned several metres, with three cabins per side. At the end of the hallway, a compact, but well-appointed dining room. 

“Are any of these rooms occupied?” Beatrice asked, curious to meet any other members of her new crew. What a day it had been. 

“Shannon and I share the captain’s quarters, but as for everyone else… Well…” Mary replied, somewhat awkwardly.

“We’ve lost a lot of good women, lately.” Shannon elaborated. “There was an incident, quite recently, where we lost the last of our mission-ready operatives. It seems the Council is not as blind to our operations as they once were. I’m sure you can see, of course, why you and Camila would be at the top of our list. Great minds, combat ready, well-trained…”

“Do you…” Beatrice almost couldn’t believe that she was getting caught up on one detail. “Not hire men?” She didn’t hate the idea, in honesty. 

“I guess not!” Mary laughed. “The AI who controls the ship is programmed with a man’s voice, does that count? His name is JC.” 

“Why?” Camila was no stranger to naming computers, automechs, and all other manner of machinery. 

“I don’t know.” Mary shrugged. “The initials were carved into the terminal when we got the ship.”

“A man of mystery. I like that.” Beatrice joked. It was rare for her to smile, especially after Ava’s departure, but she did so at that moment. 

“I’m sure.” Shannon muttered with a wink that made Beatrice’s cheeks go red. “Anyway, you can pick whatever rooms you’d like. It’ll be a few hours until we’re back at base, so try to settle in. I know this has maybe been… A lot. But the work we’re doing here, well, it’s important.” 

“I know.” Beatrice glanced at Camila, who nodded, then back at Shannon. “We wouldn’t be here if we didn’t think it was.” 

“Besides, if we can recruit my hypothetical person, and find Ava… We’d have one  _ hell  _ of a team!” Camila added with a grin. 

“There’s a terminal in each of the rooms, encrypted obviously.” Mary reported. “If you want to contact this mystery woman. In the meantime, Shannon and I are going to go get this bird out of Council airspace before we’re shot down.”


	5. The Eckleburg Effect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beatrice and Camila journey to the OCSF headquarters. Ava makes a fruitless journey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i rewrote this chapter like 4 times. its still shit but im sick of working on it.

_Winter 2189, Aboard the Crusader_

Beatrice and Camila stood enraptured in the cockpit as the ship descended closer and closer to the burning surface of Solis 4. Lava cracked and bubbled beneath them, and there was a dark mountain in the distance. It’s obsidian surface stood out dramatically against the brightness of its surroundings - nothing short of imposing. 

As they drew closer still, Beatrice could just make out a huge antenna array atop the mountain. “There she is.” Mary announced, joining them in the admittedly crowded cockpit. Shannon followed close behind her. 

“Please, please tell me your base is inside the mountain.” Camila could barely contain her excitement. 

“It is.” Shannon smiled. “And believe it or not, it never gets cold.”

“I can’t imagine why.” Beatrice muttered, though she was plenty excited. At least, in the parts of her mind that weren’t desperately wishing for Ava to be there. 

“We’re now making our final descent.” The computer reported.

“Thanks, JC.” Mary said while giving the computer an affectionate pat. 

True to promise, the ship crested the craggy, obsidian surface of the mountain before descending into a crater. Now hovering in place, the Crusader gently landed several metres beneath the mountain’s summit. It was dimly lit, but even in the dramatic lighting, Beatrice noticed several plasma turrets mounted into the rocky ceiling. 

“You don’t take security lightly around here, huh?” Camila asked as she noticed the same features as Beatrice had. 

“Well, when most of the Council wants you dead, you tend not to be complacent.” Shannon told her as she led everyone from the ship. 

“Fair point.” Beatrice whispered. Curiosity spurred her forward now, more than anything else. Perhaps, finally, she could be a part of something that was _truly_ important. Something bigger than herself. 

At a massive, blast proof door, Shannon keyed in a long entry code. A moment later, the door slid open, revealing the main floor of the OCSF. Like the landing bay, the main hall was carved directly from the obsidian of the mountain. The inky, dark surface made everything seem dim, though it lent the room an odd dignity. On the floor, an intricate mural had been carved into the stone. Two crossed swords, with a planet between them. Beneath that, text that read: OCFS - Protecting our Colonies.

“I suppose…” Mary began, gesturing to the stonework. “That motto is still somewhat true, despite what the Council says.” 

“It’s weird…” Camila seemed reverent of the setting and Beatrice understood why. “Being able to talk about the Council with such negativity and so _freely._ ” 

“I know.” Shannon nodded. She remembered her time in the academy and then in the Council Armed Services. This level of disdain would have been punished swiftly and harshly. 

“In here is the training facility.” Mary opened the door to the left of them. There was an extensive gym and several young women were training or sparring with one another. “Across the hall is the weapons range, should you feel the need to practice.” 

“This is…” Beatrice rarely found herself at a loss for words, especially without Ava around. “Impressive. And way more than I expected, if I’m being honest.” 

“That’s more than fair.” Shannon nodded. “This is a fully staffed facility. Since we’re… A bit remote, it’s easier for us to operate in secret, but there are also considerations that need to be made.” She continued to explain as the group walked down the corridor. “There is a dining room that serves three meals a day, plus accommodations for all staff and recruits. There aren’t many ships coming in and out of port here, so it’s easier to retain a full crew at all times.” 

“All staff is also required to pass a basic combat evaluation.” Mary added solemnly. “In case of attack. Not that that’s happened, mind you, but if the Council were to storm the base… Well, we’d want everyone capable of defending themselves.” 

“That makes sense.” Beatrice whispered, grateful to be getting a thorough explanation on the topic. “Though, I feel as if I only have more questions now.” 

“Go ahead.” Shannon gave Beatrice an inquisitive look.

“It seems like your leadership and dedication have built quite an organisation here; in a bigger capacity than I had envisioned. I guess… I’m not sure why you needed me and Camila.” 

“All the women you just saw in the training room, all eighteen of them, they are the only spacers we have.” Mary muttered. “They’re all new recruits, green as anything. No combat or mission experience between the lot of them.” 

“Ah…” Camila chimed in. “The incident you mentioned.” 

“Yes.” Shannon looked ashen at the memory. “We need higher ranking and experienced members if we want to stand a chance during future operations. I think the both of you fit that bill rather nicely.” 

“How do ranks work here, exactly?” Beatrice couldn’t help but ask. She had assumed she’d given up her rank upon leaving CAS.

“That’s an interesting question…” Mary flashed Shannon a knowing smile. “Some members of the OCSF are ex-military, some aren't. But no one is clambering for the standards used by the Council.”

“What Mary is trying to say is that we don’t have much of a ranking standard around here.” She sighed as they headed into the residential section of the facility. “This isn’t a large organisation. Respect and prestige are earned, not denoted by a title before your name.” 

“Understood.” Beatrice and Camila answered in unison, though they at least managed to avoid saluting. 

“I know it’s a lot to get used to.” Shannon replied. “And here is a room for each of you.” She gestured to two adjacent doors. I wouldn’t expect to spend too much time here, but it's nice to have a room that isn’t on the ship.” 

“Thank you.” Camila told her with a grin. “This is… Really impressive.”

“You signed on to join us, so thank you.” Mary told her with a lighthearted grin. “But there’s someone you should meet.” She led the group down the residential corridor and to an office at the end of the hall. 

“This is Superion’s office.” Shannon explained in a tight whisper. “Brace yourself.” She added, before pushing open the door. 

\-----

_Winter 2189, Unincorporated Territories on Cyclon_

Wind bit through her Atmos suit and Ava shuddered in the cold. Though the Council attack had left a new scar on her head, she’d retained her life. In the several weeks that followed, Ava hadn’t been found again. That was good, right? She suppressed both a laugh and a sigh. The constant running was exhausting and she hadn’t had a real conversation in weeks. 

Up ahead, a tiny green light shone into the stormy weather. “Well, looky there, old sport.” Ava muttered to herself, somewhat grim despite the joke. She walked slightly faster. A few years ago, back in the academy, she and the other new recruits were taught about the Council’s long history and how they established themselves amongst the cosmos. Not all colonies were successful, for a myriad of reasons. 

Cyclon, for instance. It’s weather was too vicious and unpredictable to be viable. Several klicks away, there was a massive wind farm, but it was staffed by a skeleton crew. Ava had stowed away on one of their ships to come find the ruins of the old colony. As she grew closer to the light, the dark outlines of buildings began to fade into existence. 

If Ava had any luck at all, the interplanetary line would still be connected and she could try to call up to the Anguis. In all the time she had been spending alone recently, Ava was kept company with thoughts of Beatrice. Not that she would admit that, of course, but Ava’s regrets seemed constantly on the forefront of her mind. She didn’t regret the crime she committed, not in the slightest, but she hated how her last conversation with Beatrice had gone. It was for the better good, but Ava couldn’t help but wish she told Beatrice how she felt. 

At last, she made it into the creepy and desolate ruins. Intermittent emergency lights were still on, including that on the outdated phone booth. With barely disguised desperation, Ava pulled off her helmet and took the device in her shaky hands. Thankfully, the contact number for the Anguis was written on the ledger inside the booth, because Ava didn’t remember it. 

After a few beeps and connection notifications, the call went through. “This is the switchboard for the Anguis, how may I direct your call?” 

“Hi.” Ava swallowed, suddenly incredibly nervous. “Can you put me through to CAS Vessel T1? I need to speak to the Tactical Action Officer aboard that ship.” 

“Do you have authorisation?” The woman on the other end asked. 

Ava froze. _God,_ she was an idiot.

“No, I -”

“Oh!” The woman interrupted her. “Looks like it doesn’t matter, that position was recently vacated.” 

“What?” Ava just felt like her lungs had been punched out.

“Is there anything else I can do for you today?” 

“No.” Ava whispered, before turning off the device. Defeated, she leaned against the half ruined booth, powerless to stem the tears that slid down her face. She felt completely lost, in a way that extended beyond being trapped on a barely inhabited planet. Was this stupid? Maybe. But Ava couldn’t just let her thoughts of Beatrice go. She had to find her. And perhaps more importantly, she had to make things right. 

It took Ava several minutes to compose herself. But eventually, she wandered into one of the abandoned houses for shelter. There wouldn’t be another ship leaving until tomorrow, so she had no choice but to spend the night. Despite it being abandoned, she couldn’t help but feel like entering someone else’s house was disrespectful - even after their occupation. Gently, she stepped across the threshold, taking stock of the half-ruined domicile. 

Wind had taken off most of the roof, so she huddled in one corner and slid the bag from her shoulder. Everything she currently owned was inside it. With care, she unrolled her sleeping bag and sat down on it, before pulling a field ration from her backpack. She’d stolen a dozen of them from a seemingly abandoned supply drop, but Ava still felt guilty about it. Turns out, she wasn’t much of a criminal. 

Nestled beside her food and water, was a laser pistol, some ammo, and a single folded sheet of paper. More specifically, a wanted poster. Even more specifically, Ava’s wanted poster. It seemed that the Council had given up on hiding their desire for further punishment, as the listed reward was quite steep. Ava looked at it at least once a day, to help remind her of the stakes. When running and hiding became exhausting, the simple reminder helped spur her back into action.

Not much later, she tucked into her sleeping bag, though the incessant whistling and howling of the wind was sure to make it a restless night. With a sigh, Ava closed her eyes and attempted to fall asleep. As was her new custom, her gun was by her side. It was because of the storm outside, though, that she didn’t hear the ship landing nearby a few hours later. 

Only half awake, Ava turned over, uncomfortable and cold. In her haze, she saw a bright light shining past the window. Panic forced her to full lucidity and she silently rose. In a moment, her bag was packed and her gun was in hand, loaded and charged. Just in time, too, as a Council soldier entered the house she had been hiding in. 

Holding her breath, Ava pressed herself against the wall and out of sight. Like the wall, the constant, oppressive noise of the storm worked both to her advantage, and against it. He was around the corner in an instant, but Ava moved faster. She dove towards the officer and wrapped one of her arms around his neck, using the other to hold the man in place. Between his helmet and the weather that raged around them, his compatriots were too far away to hear his shout.

“I’m sorry.” Ava whispered, before snapping the man’s neck. He dropped heavily to the floor. With a shaky sigh, she took his rifle and slung it over her own shoulder. Of course, she would prefer not to use it, but it didn’t hurt to have. After pocketing a few useful bits off his corpse, she snuck outside, careful to avoid the lights from the search party. 

Forcing herself to relax, Ava hid behind one of the ruined houses on the edge of the settlement. Realistically, she only had one option. She watched the officers comb the abandoned town for a few minutes, before making a dash for the rain soaked wilds beyond the dilapidated buildings. Killing them all wouldn’t stop teams from coming after her - but it might make them worse. It was still a dangerous risk, since this planet was barely inhabited by humans, though plenty of dangerous animals called it home. 

Ava quickly decided that she would rather chance the wilds then risk more confrontations with Council officials.


	6. The New Year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beatrice and Camila recruit another member to the OCSF.

_ Winter 2189, Aboard the Crusader  _

“Two recently resigned CAS officers…” Superion announced as Camila and Beatrice entered the office, without looking up from her files. Mary and Shannon remained in the hallway. “A Tactical Action Officer and a Cybertech Officer.” She scanned the papers once more. “Impressive ranks, how old are you?” 

“Twenty five.” Beatrice answered first, trying to sound more confident than she felt. Superion was surprisingly intimidating. Between Shannon’s bizarre warning and the faded scar that ran down her face, Superion was clearly a force to be reckoned with. 

“And you?” Superion looked expectantly at Camila. 

“Twenty three.” Camila whispered. 

“Considerable experience, exceptional academy marks, accolades…” Superion hesitated for a moment and Beatrice couldn’t help but wonder how she’d gotten their files. They were supposed to be classified. “Tell me, what made the two of you abandon what were sure to be lucrative careers?” 

“Permission to speak freely?” Beatrice asked.

“This isn’t the military. You don’t need to ask permission.” Superion told her with a nod. 

“There was an incident.” Beatrice sighed. She wasn’t eager to relive the past few months. “One of our fellow officers committed a crime - though only in the most technical sense of the word.”

“It was technically theft.” Camila added. “From the Council, though. Her actions likely helped hundreds in the colonies.” 

“Oh.” Superion straightened slightly in her chair. “You’re talking about Miss Silva.” 

“You know who she is?” Beatrice knew she shouldn’t be surprised, but found herself shocked all the same. The Council’s control of information was tighter than she had originally thought.    
“Of course.” Superion withdrew a holopad from her desk. “I’ve been keeping a file on her. She’s quickly ascended the Council’s most wanted list.” 

“What?” Beatrice mumbled. She felt as if the floor had just dropped away beneath her; as if she was falling. 

“These are only preliminary reports, some of which are speculative or unsubstantiated. Please understand that.” Superion softened, as if sensing how important Ava was to not only Beatrice, but Camila too. 

“We understand.” Camila answered for them both. 

“According to what we’ve heard here, from the most advanced monitoring station in the galaxy, mind you, Ava’s killed a few Council officers. Granted, they were sent to kill her, so all’s fair.” 

“But… Why?” Beatrice whispered. “Ava was already convicted, stripped of her assets and career, and barred from all Council-affiliated territory. Is that not enough?” 

“Evidently not.” Superion exhaled sharply. She knew how far the Council would go to achieve their goals. “Ava’s actions were widely celebrated within the colonies, even if those closer to the Council never learned about what she had done. Speaking logically, Ava’s very existence is a threat. She could inspire those who the Council wishes to subjugate without conflict. Painting her as a violent criminal reduces the risk of creating a martyr.” 

“I don’t want Ava to die.” Beatrice breathed, staring at her boots. She had all but forgotten her surroundings, but Superion’s words echoed with painful volume in her mind.    
“We know, Bea.” Camila reminded her, before taking Beatrice’s hand in her own. 

“Ideally, I’d like to recruit her. The OCSF is uniquely positioned for someone of Ava’s skills and opinions. Plus, we’d be able to protect her from the Council’s hitmen.” 

“Really?” 

“Yes, really.” Superion gave Beatrice an exceedingly rare smile. “Miss Silva’s actions have already, in the odd ways of the universe, brought you both here. I promise I’ll gather what information I can to find Ava, but in the meantime, I need you both to not let this be a distraction. We do dangerous work here and distractions can be fatal.” 

“Understood.” Beatrice replied and Camila nodded in agreement. Neither of them were strangers to danger, nor did they fear it overmuch. 

“Glad to hear it.” Superion shuffled through her documents and holopads. Her desk was a mess of new and old technology. Like Ava, Beatrice thought, making her heart hurt for the thousandth time that day. “Shannon sent me notice that you have another recruit in mind?” 

“Oh!” Camila jumped slightly, still hand in hand with Beatrice. “Yes!” 

\-----

_ Winter 2190, New Year’s Day, Aboard the Groundbreaker  _

Beatrice was tired. She’d stayed up late last night, watching the minutes tick away into the new year. Ava’s journal had kept her company the entire time. Of course, Beatrice had memorised every page by now, but it still brought her more comfort than she cared to admit. Somewhere, miles and miles away, Beatrice wondered if Ava had celebrated the new year. Ava had always liked holidays, insisting that everyone celebrate, regardless of what else was going on. 

Mindlessly, Beatrice followed Camila through the crowded promenade on the Groundbreaker. It was one of the last few  _ free _ space stations in the galaxy, lending it a…  _ Unique  _ clientele. Criminals and upstanding citizens alike rubbed elbows here, going about their business largely without conflict. Of course, the heavily armed guards stationed across the massive ship didn’t hurt either. Still, it seemed that everyone ached for time outside of the Council’s influence, not just those who wanted to traffick forbidden goods or weapons. 

On the notice board in the docking bay, Beatrice saw Ava’s wanted poster for the first time. Not the last, obviously, as Beatrice had tucked the paper into her pocket. The reward on Ava’s head was astronomical, over a  _ million  _ credits. With reverence, Beatrice stuck her hand in her pocket again, just to make sure the paper hadn’t slipped out while she followed Camila. It hadn’t. In her overwhelmed distraction, Beatrice thought of an entry of Ava’s she had read last night, an entry that Beatrice had so well memorised, it might as well have been tattooed on her mind. 

_ 01.01.2189 _

_ I set off a bunch of leftover Christmas crackers at breakfast today, to celebrate the new year. Camila was the only one who shared my enthusiasm. Well, I think Beatrice smiled but I’m not sure. I can’t figure her out at all. I’m not even sure if she likes me. At the very least, she isn’t actively mean like some of the other crew members and our CO.  _

_ Anyway, 2189! Wow. It’s not the prettiest looking number, but I have a good feeling about it. I’m sitting by the tiny window in my room right now. You can see Terra 2 right now, though it’s obscured by clouds today. I wonder if they are celebrating down there. What about in the free colonies?  _

_ Sometimes, I can’t believe I spend most of my time in space. It wasn’t that long ago when humans watched the stars from Earth and used them to mark the passing of time. Today, we do the same, but it’s from among the stars. Within them. Not everything in my life is great, not even most of it, but whenever I think that, I can’t help but feel lucky. Like I said before, it’s going to be a good year!  _

“There she is!” Camila snapped Beatrice violently from her thoughts. Without immediate comment, Beatrice followed Camila’s pointing gesture towards Lilith’s lithe form, standing somewhat awkwardly against a railing. 

“There she is.” Beatrice replied. Camila still hadn’t divulged much about her secret friendship with Lilith, but Beatrice was beyond curious. 

When they drew nearer, Camila sped into a run, hugging Lilith with surprising ferocity. Much more surprising was how Lilith returned the gesture, even placing a gentle kiss on Camila’s cheek. A kiss which, if we’re being frank, caught the corner of Camila’s lips. 

“Wait a minute…” Beatrice whispered, basically entirely to herself. After a moment, Lilith was released from Camila’s grasp and extended a hand to Beatrice. 

“It’s nice to see you again.” Lilith was understandably more formal towards Beatrice. 

“You as well.” Beatrice nodded, returning the gesture. 

“Why did you ask to meet here, of all places?” Lilith wondered, looking around the insanely busy market. Neon lights shined from dozens of adjacent stalls, bathing the aging ship in a colourful glow. 

“We need to talk. About something that isn’t exactly Council sanctioned.” Camila explained. “Let’s grab some noodles and sit down. I promise I’ll explain everything.” 

“Okay…” Lilith sounded skeptical, if nothing else. Still, she followed Camila towards one of the stalls, and Beatrice trailed them silently without a word. Her thoughts, despite her efforts to stay focused, quickly drifted back to Ava. 

A moment later, the three of them were seated amongst the colourful crowd. The loud din of conversations and automechnicals made it difficult to hear each other, let alone the conversations of others. Given that, it was probably as safe a place as any to talk. 

“Hypothetically speaking…” Camila began, before pausing to slurp her noodles. “How happy are you with your job?” 

“If the board was asking me, I’d say perfectly satisfied.” Lilith’s face was unreadable. “But if it was you… I wouldn’t say the same.”

“Why?” Camila asked before Beatrice had the chance. 

“I work as part of the board’s elite team. I’ve done  _ horrible  _ things to protect them and their interests.” Lilith admitted. The shame on her face was clear.

“Why?” Beatrice spoke before Camila this time. Her tone was far from accusatory, genuinely, since Beatrice too had done plenty she regretted. 

“That’s life under the Council, or under the board, in my case. Two facets of the same…” Her hesitation was telling. “Evil.” Lilith finished her thought in a whisper. 

“Okay…” Camila smiled, clearly winding up for the big reveal. “What if I said I had another job to offer you?” 

“Really?” Lilith raised an eyebrow. Good jobs were far from common. Good jobs absent of violence or danger were underheard of. 

“Really.” Camila leaned closer. “You’ve heard of the OCSF, I wager?”

“It’s defunct, completely abandoned.” Lilith’s eyes widened slightly. “Isn’t it?” 

“No.” Camila’s excitement was obvious. 

“Bullshit.” Lilith sat back slightly. “No way. I would’ve known.” 

“It’s what I thought too.” Beatrice reported. “But I assure you, it’s real. Better yet, it’s  _ free from influence.  _ They help people. Or… We help people.”    
“Actually?” Lilith’s disbelief was understandable. 

“Truly.” Camila took her hand from across the table. “Do you trust me?” 

“With my life.” Lilith answered immediately. All of a sudden, Beatrice felt like an interloper, like she was watching something that she shouldn’t. 

“Come with me.” Camila’s voice turned almost sultry then; a pitch lower than it normally was. It was as if Beatrice was no longer there. 

“Okay. Okay. Alright.” Lilith seemed slightly out of breath then and Beatrice stared at the floor, her cheeks burning. 

Jealousy. It wasn’t something Beatrice felt often, but she felt it then. It was beyond clear now that whatever was going on between Camila and Lilith, it extended beyond friendship. Something, of course, that Beatrice wished for with Ava. She still could barely admit it, but Beatrice knew that denying her true feelings was becoming increasingly ridiculous. After her conversation with Superion, however, Beatrice was  _ slightly  _ hopeful. Maybe there was a chance to see Ava again. 

\-----

_ Winter 2189, New Year’s Eve, Somewhere on Cyclon _

Ava had wandered through Cyclon’s wilderness for the last week and a half. A few days ago, she’d stumbled upon an old ship wreck, from thirty years prior. It became a haphazard shelter, a critical windbreak that likely saved Ava’s life. 

“And thank you for that, old shippy.” Ava mumbled, giving the metal wall an affectionate pat. She’d been talking to herself with increasing frequency, though Ava also wondered if she was going mad. 

“If I  _ was  _ going mad, I wouldn’t be worrying about it.” She tried to reason, as she sorted through the scant supplies remaining on the ship. There were a few field rations, all severely expired. On her first day, Ava had eaten one, only to become violently ill afterwards. In retrospect, she probably should have stayed hungry. In her few months as a fugitive, her unnecessary weight loss had become quite stark. Ava’s face was thinner than it once was and her bones felt sharper, closer to the surface than they used to be. 

Thankfully, the ship’s environmental water condenser was still functioning, as were some of the other powered utilities. All Ava had done was switch on the main breaker. Whatever had caused the crash had thankfully spared the lifesaving devices. Though, this didn’t help the skeletal remains she’d found inside. Weirdly superstitious about sleeping near them, but also wanting to be respectful, Ava had buried them in the clearing. Even in her weakened state, she felt as though the crew deserved a proper burial. 

All her remaining energy went to fixing the semi-functional escape pod. Ava wasn’t an engineer, far from it. But the pod was already somewhat functional, plus the older tech was simpler than more modern designs. Maybe, just maybe, hanging out with Camila in the engineering bay had allowed Ava to learn something. Through osmosis, perhaps. 

Inside the tiny escape pod, there was a small screen. Older designs didn’t have programmable destinations, rather a set list of locations that were pre-programmed into the vessel’s navigation system. Gently, Ava wiped the dust from the display and looked over the six options that glowed dimly in the night. 

_ Anguis Retrieval Bay _

_ Solis 4 _

_ Solis 6 _

_ Terra 2 - Site A _

_ Terra 2 - Site B _

_ Cyclon _

“None of these seem great…” Ava mumbled, entirely to herself. “Solis 4 isn’t even inhabitable, so I’m not sure what idiot programmed that… Where are sites A and B?!” Frustrated, Ava slammed a fist into the interior wall of the pod. Her hand ached from the strike but the tears in her eyes were unrelated to the pain. She felt trapped. After a few deep breaths, she climbed back out into the main cabin of the ship. 

It was a surprisingly calm night, by Cyclon standards at least, so Ava sat down outside. From the clearing, she looked up at the stars. Despite everything, the sight made her feel grateful. Grateful, but small. Her watch beeped, interrupting the moment of solace, and Ava looked down at it. Midnight. A new year. 

“I hope you’re celebrating.” Ava whispered into the night, to a specific person, who definitely couldn’t hear her. “Pour one out for me.” After a few more minutes, Ava retreated back into the ship. Tomorrow. Tomorrow she would choose a location and hope the ancient and shoddily repaired pod could get her there. She couldn’t survive here for much longer. Tomorrow was the day.


	7. A Rare Stroke of Luck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ava makes an escape and Beatrice finally gets a lead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the idea for the next few chapters literally came to me in a dream lol, this wasnt my original plan

_Winter 2190, New Year’s Day, Somewhere on Cyclon_

“Alright…” Ava whispered to herself, trying to suppress the sick, nervous feeling in her chest. Carefully, she climbed into the escape pod, hoping she’d repaired enough of the vessel to ensure she didn’t die on the way. Closing the door behind her, Ava double checked the seal before strapping herself into the chair. 

With a deep breath, Ava steadied herself, before looking over the control panel one last time. She’d stayed up most of the night considering her options. None of them were great, but Solis 6 seemed like the best of a poor showing. Unlike Solis 4, it was at least inhabitable. Most of the colonists there hated the Council and it was on the edge of their influence, anyhow. Cyclon would probably be the safest best, but as Ava already knew, there was _nothing_ here. 

“No more hesitation.” Ava pressed the button with surprising gusto. “Let’s do this.” For a moment, nothing happened. That moment turned into a minute, and just as Ava had been about to get up and check what was going on, the entire pod began to vibrate with the force of the engine warming up. Hastily, Ava retrieved a spare pair of socks from her bag and shoved them between her teeth. Gross? Yes. But not as gross as breaking your jaw from the g-forces she was about to endure. 

The old bird still had it. That was Ava’s first thought as the old escape pod rocketed from the wreckage and hurtled into the atmosphere. It was an odd sort of victory, a victory over the horrible circumstances that had been Ava’s life as of late. From the tiny window, she watched Cyclon grow smaller, happy to leave the stormy, dark planet behind. 

Re-entry was less fun. Turns out, Ava wasn’t the best mechanic around. By the time the pod was burning through Solis 6’s atmosphere, the heat and pressure inside were becoming unbearable. For a delirious moment, Ava almost laughed at the absurdity of it. She felt like she was inside an oven. Had the pressure sealing failed while she was still in the vacuum of space, she would have died in an instant. If Beatrice knew about this, she would have killed Ava, provided the escape pod didn’t beat her to the punch. This was beyond dangerous. 

Sweat dripped into Ava’s eyes as the surface grew closer and her head felt like it would explode. Between that and the sick feeling in her stomach, the ride was quickly becoming unbearable. With the little bit of clarity she had left, Ava slowly reached out, activating the landing mechanism on the pod. A warning light flashed. 

Straining to look out the window once more, Ava could see the ground approaching faster than she would like. Thankfully, the landing site seemed uninhabited - she didn’t want anyone to get hurt. It’s the small victories, right? Without wasting another second, Ava hooked her bag into the harness on her seat, unwilling to lose her few possessions upon ejection. 

Moving with the amount of force in the tiny pod was no small feat, but after Ava secured her belongings, she wrenched the emergency release open. The vessel cleaved in half with a rusty, painful sort of noise. Ava, still strapped into her chair, pulled a second handle, activating the parachute in the seat. It was half-ruined, of course, but in theory should slow Ava down enough to not die upon landing. Between the exhaustion, stress, and sheer amount of force, she was unconscious before she even hit the ground. 

\-----

_Winter 2190, Solis 6, Firebend Settlement_

“Ahh!” Ava sat up, delirious with panic and confusion. 

“Easy there.” An older woman set a gentle hand on Ava’s shoulder, easing her back onto the bed. “You’re hurt pretty badly and you’ve been unconscious for a few days. I’d like to see you make a full recovery, which starts with you calming down.” 

“I was… I’m…” Ava paused as the room came into focus around her. This definitely wasn’t a Council prison and the woman sitting beside her looked friendly enough. “Where am I?” 

“Firebend.”

“How?” More slowly, Ava sat up, leaning against the headboard. The pain in her body became apparent then, though she worked hard not to show it on her face. 

“A group of our scouts saw a ship go down a few klicks away and a pilot coming in way too fast. Do you want to explain what you were doing in such an old, defunct escape pod?” Her concern made Ava’s heart ache. This woman didn’t even know her, yet seemed to care about Ava’s wellbeing. 

“I was stranded on Cyclon.” Ava whispered, scared to reveal too much information. She didn’t want to put anyone else on the Council’s hit list. 

“That makes sense.” She hummed, before continuing. “It seems like a good place to hide, considering how badly the Council wants you.” 

“I… Wait…” Ava’s brain wasn’t working at its full capacity. “Do you know who I am?” 

“Ha!” The woman laughed heartily. “Yes, of course I do. Everyone does. A few of the men in town wanted to turn you in for the reward money, but knowing the Council, we’d probably never see a single credit. Besides… We know what you did. It helped a lot of people out around here.” 

“Oh.” Ava felt herself grow red. “I… Um… Thank you.” She took a surprisingly painful breath. “What’s your name?” 

“Everyone around here calls me Ree.” Ree answered with a kind smile. 

“It’s nice to meet you, Ree.” Ava returned her grin. “And thanks for not letting me die. Believe it or not, the last few months have not been that lucky.”

“I can imagine.” Ree rose from her chair. “Do you want me to show you around town? There’s a wheelchair in the other room, I can go -” 

“No wheelchair.” Ava interrupted, sliding from the bed with a poorly disguised wince. “I could use the exercise.” 

“I’m not sure that’s true, but I won’t argue with you.” Ree gave Ava a cautious once over. She’d grown much too thin.

Outside, the sun blinded Ava for a moment. Long enough that, by the time she grew used to it, she realised that several colonists were staring at her. 

“Why is everyone looking at me?” Ava whispered to Ree, who stood cautiously by her side. 

“Are you serious?” 

“Yes?” 

“You’re something of a hero around here.” Ree waved to a group of young children who’d been watching from the corner of a building. They quickly scurried down an alley, giggling the entire time. “Once your crimes became public… Well, you’ve gained a bit of a following. Do you not know about this?” Ava stared at her for several seconds before speaking. This was too much, especially with the overwhelming pain that seemed to cover every inch of her body.

“No, but… I didn’t do this for fame.” Ava finally answered in a tiny voice. “I was sick of seeing people suffer. The Council lives in obscene opulence while those in the colonies go without food and without aid. Even those working for the Council aren’t treated much better.” With a short hesitation, Ava continued. “How did it become public, anyhow? I figured the Council would work hard to keep it a secret.” 

“I imagine they did. The OCSF made it public.” 

“What?” Ava only felt more confused. “The OCSF doesn’t exist anymore.” 

“Yes, it does.” Ree looked at Ava curiously, wondering if she had some sort of head trauma, or just hadn’t woken up all the way. There seemed to be a lot of information that Ava was missing. “They’re basically the only competent anti-Council force in the galaxy. At least, for now.” 

“For _now?_ ” Ava felt like she’d been thrown into the deep end. Every question only led to a dozen more.” Hopefully, she would find her place in time. 

\----- 

_Spring 2190, Solis 4, OCSF Headquarters_

Beatrice woke to a frantic knocking at her door. In a slight panic, she rose, revealing a harried looking Camila. 

“What is it?” Beatrice asked, already wide awake, like a true soldier. 

“News of Ava.” Camila replied, before hurrying to Superion’s office. Beatrice followed without another word, still in her pajamas. 

“Good morning.” Superion greeted them both. After several successful missions, Beatrice and Camila had both earned the respect of the organisation. And, more importantly, Superion herself. 

“Good morning.” Beatrice and Camila answered in unison. 

“I’ll cut right to the chase.” Superion turned on the projection screen, revealing a satellite image of Solis 6. She pressed play on the holopad in her hand. 

For a second, the screen seemed frozen. But then, a rusty, sparking escape pod crossed the screen, landing heavily on the sunny planet.

“What does this mean?” Beatrice hated the naïve hope in her voice. There had been several false alarms already, but Beatrice couldn’t help but get excited each time. 

“Hold on.” Superion switched to a different monitoring camera, located on the planet’s surface. 

Half of the pod crashed into the surface, followed shortly by the pilot’s chair and it’s single occupant. The landing was messy and violent as anything. Hard to watch.

“Is that…” Camila asked, staring at the screen. It was impossible to tell. Superion sped up the footage until a group of workers from the nearby settlement arrived at the wreckage. An inaudible conversation occurred between them, before they gently lifted the woman from the ruins of the pod. 

Superion paused the footage. Even through the blood on her face, Beatrice recognised. Ava’s was a face she’d recognise anywhere. This wasn’t a false alarm. 

“Is she…?” Beatrice couldn’t bring herself to say _alive._

“Yes.” Superion answered quickly, sensing Beatrice’s nervousness. “Hold on.” She manipulated the holopad once more, pulling up an image from inside the settlement.

There she was. Standing on the porch of the town’s inn. Beatrice’s heart pounded at the sight of Ava. Her thoughts quickly became a tangled mess. Only Camila’s hand on her shoulder brought Beatrice back to reality. 

“Full disclosure, this data is from January.” Superion told Beatrice, who looked as if she might faint. “The solar storms between here and Solis 6 have slowed our transmissions down quite significantly. Still, it’s a lead.” 

“Thank you.” Beatrice choked. 

“Can we prepare for retrieval?” Camila wondered, asking the question that Beatrice couldn’t quite seem to put into words. 

“Yes, of course.” Superion nodded. “I wouldn’t want to stop you. But be warned, tensions are rising in the colonies, especially those on Solis 6.”

“We will be.” Camila replied, before basically pulling Beatrice from the office. They stopped in the empty corridor. “Bea? Are you okay?” 

“I… She…” Beatrice rarely stuttered, but this was an event unlike most. “She’s alive.”

“I know.” Camila smiled widely. She was happy not only for Beatrice, but for Ava too, one of her closest friends. 

“That crash looked bad though…” Despite the good news, the brutal crash was playing over and over in Beatrice’s head. “What was she doing in such an antiquated escape pod? And where was she coming from? Do you think she looked too thin? Do you… Think she is okay?” 

“One question at a time.” Camila put a hand on each of Beatrice’s shoulders, willing her to calm down. She’d never seen Beatrice this manic. “And I’m sure you can ask Ava these questions yourself, soon enough.” 

“Really?” Even after seeing the footage, Beatrice was scared to get too hopeful. She had been let down so many times. 

“Really.” Camila pulled Beatrice into a tight hug. “I’ve got a good feeling about it this time.” They broke apart. “Come on. Let’s go get suited up. We can take our breakfast on the ship. I don’t want to wait any longer and I’m sure you don’t either.” 

“Thank you.” Beatrice muttered, following Camila down the dark hall. She had never been more thankful for Camila’s friendship as she was then. Despite all of Beatrice’s internal rules, her superstitions, she let herself hope then. Truly hope. In retrospect, this was a mistake, but hindsight has a way of making the realities of the past seem obvious. 

Sometimes, the universe can be cruel. Doubly so when it seems kind at first.


	8. A Ghost and a Shadow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A near reunion is bathed in fiery tragedy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this got dark lol

_Winter 2190, Solis 6, Firebend Settlement_

It was three weeks before Ava was fully healed. Her collection of scars was growing faster than she would have preferred, but she was grateful that she found a safe place to stay. Perhaps more accurately, a safe place to stay had found her. With a smile, Ava reflected on this as she patrolled the wilderness that surrounded the settlement. 

After saving her, Ava was determined to give back the community, despite the ‘hero’ status that some residents held her to. Given she was one of the few people with military training, she quickly got a job, protecting the settlement from dangerous wildlife. In truth, it was a pretty boring post. 

With all the _excitement_ of the past several months, Ava was grateful for the boredom. It gave her time to sort out the mess of thoughts in her head Unsurprisingly, without the constant threat of death hanging over her head, Ava’s thoughts quickly turned to Beatrice. Where was she? Why did she leave CAS? Did Ava’s crime have something to do with it? 

A surprising tear slid down Ava’s cheek. It almost made her laugh. Ava thought that, after everything, she ought to be a little bit tougher. Still, Ava fervently hoped that her actions hadn’t hurt Beatrice. With even more fervor, she hoped that one day she could ask Beatrice for herself. Maybe then Ava could finally admit the feelings she had suppressed for over a year now. 

In between Ava’s hopeless imaginations, she kept revisiting Ree’s comments about OCSF. She’d heard about it from a few others in town as well, though no one seemed to be able to give her much information. Whoever they were, they operated under the radar. Which, in fairness, made sense. With an enemy like the Council, it would be hard to operate openly without ending up dead. And quickly too. Ava knew this better than most. 

Realistically, Ava knew that, from the day she woke up in Firebend, that she should try to find the OCSF. There was a memory, buried in her mind, from her training at the academy. She only vaguely remembered the organisation getting mentioned, though her instructor had told the class that it had been retired decades ago. 

“You are not immune to propaganda.” Ava whispered to herself. Beatrice had told her that once, though it was about the ads for the new flavour of Vim Pop and not about the lies in the CAS education program. With a heavy heart, Ava allowed herself a smile. Beatrice had been right, of course. The new flavour was disgusting, just like all the other ones. 

Ava shook her head. She needed to focus. Before her arrest, she’d had a storied career. Surely, _surely,_ there must be some information she learned along the way that would help her find the OCSF. Maybe someone on the Groundbreaker would know. Getting there was easier said than done, but Ava was nothing if not determined. Besides, it wasn’t as if the Council’s attempts on her life had made Ava _more_ sympathetic towards them. 

\-----

_Spring 2190, Aboard the Crusader, Above Solis 6_

“We should be landing in half an hour.” Camila reported, leaving the cockpit to find Beatrice pacing by the airlock. “Are you okay?” 

“Hm?” Beatrice looked up at Camila, only now just realising that the younger woman had joined her. 

“Are you nervous about seeing Ava again?” Camila couldn’t help but tease Beatrice a little, at least to alleviate some of the tension. “Or to finally admit that you’re in love with her?” 

  
“I’m not… I’m…” Beatrice stared at her. “I…”

“Do you think I’m blind?” Camila grinned and looked out the window at the planet below. “Honestly, Bea.” 

“No…” Beatrice wiped her sweaty palms on her Atmos suit. The OCSF issue suits were cutting edge, much nicer than the CAS officer ones. Plus, they looked great in black. “Ava might not even be there. This lead isn’t exactly warm.” 

“But it’s a lead.” Camila countered. “A better one than we’ve had in a while.”

“I know.” Beatrice shook her head. Try as she might, she couldn’t the image of an injured Ava being carried away. The thought of Ava suffering alone made her sick. Perhaps more pressingly, Beatrice wished it was her helping Ava. Maybe she _was_ in love with Ava…

“I’ve never seen you this nervous.” 

“I’m not sure I’ve ever been this nervous.” Beatrice admitted. Gently, she slid a hand into her pocket and held onto Ava’s wanted poster. She carried it with her daily now, like a weird, lucky talisman. Normally, Beatrice was far from superstitious, but Ava’s arrest and subsequent disappearance had a more painful effect on her psyche than she cared to admit. 

“It’ll be okay.” Camila patted Beatrice’s back. “Either we’ll find Ava or we’ll find a new lead.”

“Okay, okay.” Beatrice found herself growing hopeful again, almost foolishly so. 

Lilith joined them a moment later. “With all this excitement, I’m pretty excited to meet this _Ava_ character.” 

“Don’t get any ideas.” Camila whispered with a devious smile, while wrapping an arm around Lilith’s waist. “Beatrice is already in love with her.” 

“Cam…” Beatrice warned with a frustrated glare.

“Who’s in love with who?” Mary called from the stairway. Shannon followed closely behind. 

“No one.” Beatrice muttered, though the blush across her cheeks told a different story. 

“Oh.” Shannon looked between a giggling Camila and a pouty Beatrice. “I thought it was obvious. Especially since Beatrice carries around that wanted poster everywhere she goes.” 

“Okay, can we be done with this?” Beatrice asked, hating the attention. 

Thankfully, JC interrupted with a blaring alarm. Red lights flashed throughout the ship and everyone was quick to run into the cockpit - the attitude changed immediately. 

“Activating shielding.” The computer reported as Shannon looked over the diagnostic screen. “Missiles are converging on our location… Calculating… We are not the target.” 

“Who is?” Mary inquired while Shannon keyed in a series of commands. 

“Calculating…” JC, the computer, was silent for an interminable moment. “Homing device is set for Solis 6, settlement designation 48.”

“No…” Beatrice breathed, just as a series of missiles shot past the ship, bound for the surface of Solis 6. 

“Who sent them?” Lilith asked, though she already had a good idea. 

“Council Armed Services.” JC answered at once. This was undeniably bad. 

\-----

_Spring 2190, Solis 6, Outside Firebend Settlement_

Ava walked her route around the settlement mindlessly. For weeks, she’d been plotting in secret. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust anyone in Firebend, quite the opposite was true. During the past few months, she had made a few friends and liked most of the residents. They were good people. But, should the Council show up, Ava didn’t want to put anyone at risk. So, her planning continued in secret. 

Finding a ship to stowaway on to _get_ to the Groundbreaker was proving to be the most difficult issue. Firebend was isolated from other Solis 6 settlements. There was a trade ship that delivered goods once every few months that was due in the coming days. Ava figured that was her best bet. Part of her didn’t want to leave, but Ava knew it was necessary. With a sigh, she continued walking, mind full of ideas and plans. In her distraction, Ava didn’t notice the telltale shrieking of missiles until it was too late. 

The shockwave knocked her from her feet and sent her tumbling into a nearby tree. A blazing furnace of air followed shortly after, burning the leaves from the surrounding plants. Ava’s head spun sickeningly as her vision swam back into focus. Within a moment, she realised what had happened. 

Shakily, Ava rose to her feet, using her rifle to stay upright. Her stomach flipped around and a moment later she vomited into the now-burnt grass. But Ava was nothing if not determined. As fast as she could manage, Ava ran towards the inferno that was Firebend only a moment ago. The irony of the name was not lost on her. 

Good intentions aside, Ava didn’t get far. Between the radiant heat and the exploding rubble, she was forced back to the treeline. Defeated, Ava watched the settlement burn to the ground. There was no way that anyone survived. Tears drew tracks in the ash on her face as Ava came to terms with a harsh reality. This had been her fault. 

Had she not already been sick, Ava would have thrown up again at the realisation. Her presence had doomed these people. Innocent people. Some ‘hero’ she was. Ava’s heart ached with guilt and for a moment, she wished she had been in the settlement when the missiles hit. At least then, the suffering would be over. 

Ava became a ghost that day.

\-----

_Spring 2190, Aboard the Crusader, Near Firebend_

Beatrice stood wordlessly by the window as the ship descended towards the ground. A thick plume of smoke rose in the air, making it difficult to see what was happening below. It wasn’t hard to imagine, though. A single tear fell from Beatrice’s face and onto her uniform. She felt sick. Sicker than sick. 

“Hey.” Camila came up behind her. “We don’t know if Ava was down there. She might have -”

“Please.” Beatrice’s voice cracked even on the single word. “I can’t.”

“Bea…” Camila was clearly nervous too, but her concern for Beatrice’s wellbeing outweighed her own stress. 

A few moments later, the Crusader’s thrusters turned off and the ship was on the ground. Beatrice was the first through the airlock, surprising no one. From ground level, the scene was nothing short of apocalyptic. Chemical fire burned through the ruined town, setting off subsequent explosions. 

Hastily, Beatrice pulled her helmet on and prepared to run in. Logically, she knew that it was unlikely anyone had survived - she had seen the results of these weapons up close before. They were nothing short of brutal. But, Beatrice knew that she would never forgive herself if she didn’t at least try. Maybe, just maybe, there would be something…

Just as Beatrice tried to move forward, something caught the collar of her uniform. Turning around revealed that it was Mary, using her cybernetic arm to overpower Beatrice completely. 

“No way.” Mary shook her head, though she was sympathetic to Beatrice after everything she and Shannon had been through with the OCSF. “If the heat doesn’t kill you, the radiation definitely will.”

“But…” Beatrice felt as though all the strength and adrenaline had completely left her body. “Ava.” 

“I know.” Mary sighed and pulled Beatrice tightly into herself. A silent couple of seconds passed before Beatrice’s quiet sobs joined the noise of the fire. On the _very_ unlikely chance that Ava hadn’t died in the explosion, any leads were surely destroyed. 

A few paces away Shannon stood solemnly by the ship, looking on with an expression of horror. Despite her chosen career, seeing the aftermath of the Council’s wrath never grew easier. Every time, it still made her sick. Beatrice’s breakdown only made the scene more harrowing. To herself, Shannon vowed to keep looking for evidence of Ava’s survival. For Beatrice’s sake, if not her own. 

Beside her, Lilith held Camila upright. She too was crying, overwhelmed with the latest tragedy. It was completely unfair and beyond cruel. Devastated and angry, Camila buried her head in Lilith’s chest, doing nothing to stop the tears that burned her eyes. How _stupid_ she was to let herself feel hopeful in all of this. Yet, the hope she imparted on Beatrice made Camila feel even worse. Because somehow, in this universe, there was always an _even worse._

If Ava became a ghost that day, Beatrice became a shadow.


	9. Harold Be Thy Name

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beatrice goes on a mission and Ava faces the consequences of earlier actions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know i need to update the spy fic but i wanted to work on this today. also sorry this is a bit of a longer chapter than normal.

_ August 20th, 2189 _

_...I know what I’m going to do. For fear of discovery, I won’t write more. I just don’t understand how no one else has attempted to help. How can so many stand idly by? Regardless, I’ve decided that I don’t care about what happens to me, I only hope no one else gets hurt in the process. This is the right thing to do. I’m sure of it... _

\-----

_ Spring 2190, Solis 4, OCSF Headquarters  _

“Bea? Are you in there?” Camila knocked on her door and Beatrice quickly stowed Ava’s journal beneath her pillow before answering. 

“Yes.” Beatrice opened the door and replied in a whisper. It had been two weeks since the incident on Solis 6, but Beatrice still felt hollow. Somehow, her body kept working as if mechanised, even if her mind didn’t want to follow suit. 

“How are you?” Camila asked quietly, fully aware that it was a stupid question. She was incredibly sad, but Beatrice was positively devastated. 

“Fine.” Beatrice choked. Her eyes were rimmed with red and the tension in her shoulders was clear. So, not fine, then.

“We have a mission.” Camila reported heavily. “Are you okay to come? You don’t  _ have  _ to, but it could be sensitive and we’d all appreciate your brilliance.” 

To be fair, Beatrice’s brilliant mind seemed dulled after what happened on Solis 6. Distracted. Even still, she was one of the best tactical minds in the galaxy, something she was lauded for during her time in CAS. She hesitated for a moment before answering. Already, Beatrice had missed a few missions - no one had even asked her to go. Beatrice wasn’t sure if she should be grateful or embarrassed. 

“Yes. When are we leaving?” She replied, finally. Camila sighed in relief.

“An hour.”

“Alright.” Beatrice nodded. “I’ll be there.” 

“Are you -” Camila was interrupted by Beatrice shutting the door. “Sure…?” She finished her sentence in a useless, unheard whisper, before retreating to the docking bay. 

As promised, Beatrice met the team at the Crusader. They’d barely seen her since the incident and it was clear that she wasn’t handling the news particularly well. 

“Hey.” Shannon pulled her aside while everyone else climbed aboard. “You know you don’t have to come, right? If you’re not alright…” She was nothing if not empathetic. During the past few years, she and Mary had experienced several close calls and their own losses. 

“I know.” Beatrice nodded. She was thankful for the kindness, even if it was hard for her to show it. “I know.” Beatrice repeated. “It’s time. Besides… Helping people is important. And it’s what  _ she  _ would want.” 

“You’re right.” Shannon gave her a quick hug before they entered the ship together. Seeing Beatrice so withdrawn made her sad, but hopefully a successful mission would be a good distraction.

And maybe in some ways, it was. Beatrice retreated to her room immediately, while Camila and Lilith kept to the engineering bay. There were several ship improvements to be made, all of which were a distraction of her own. Meanwhile, Shannon and Mary stayed in the cockpit and watched the galaxy pass by. 

“I’m surprised you got her to come.” Lilith told Camila quietly.

“Me too.” Camila replied. She was already elbow deep in a shielding module. Lilith stood at the ready, passing her tools when needed. “What happened was horrible.” 

“But not surprising.” Lilith added in a whisper. 

“Isn’t it?” Camila turned away from the machine and met Lilith’s gaze. 

“I don’t think so.” Lilith sighed. “When I worked for the board…” She paused. These secrets were supposed to be confidential, but she already was affiliated with OCSF now, so… “Well, they authorised killings for  _ much  _ less.” 

“This is your parents you’re talking about. Beatrice’s too.” Camila shook her head. “It makes me sick to think of how much suffering they’ve authorised.” 

“They don’t see it like that.” Lilith bit, though her anger wasn’t directed at Camila. “I’m not trying to empathise because there is no excuse for their behaviour. But they don’t even see colonists as people. And how could they? The board and the Council are both completely cut off from the rest of the galaxy. With such a disconnect, their actions  _ almost  _ make sense.” 

“I’m not sure if I agree…” 

“How so?” Lilith wondered. She wasn’t challenging Camila in the slightest, but she was curious about their differences in opinion. For so long, their relationship was conducted via holopads and transmissions. Having a discussion in person was a luxury and one that neither woman took for granted. Doubly so, after what happened on Solis 6. It was a dangerous world they lived in. 

“I’m just not sure that, even completely insulated from society, I would authorise bombing an entire settlement to kill one person. Who, I’d argue, has already suffered enough. I mean, Ava lost her job, everything she owned, and was banned from all Council-affiliated ships and colonies. What  _ exactly  _ was she going to do? Throw a rock at a Council officer?” Camila’s passion was evident in her words and a singular tear slid down her cheek.

“I mean, she did  _ kill  _ three officers. But I see your point.” Lilith inhaled sharply. “It’s smart, in an awful way. You almost have to wonder if they sent the hit squads  _ knowing  _ that Ava would be able to dispatch them. That way, they can put a bigger bounty on her head.” 

“That’s insidious.” Camila’s eyes grew wide. “Do you really think they would do that?” 

“I know they would.” 

“Hmm…” Camila thought for a moment before continuing. “If you were the Council, would you consider Ava a threat?” She valued Lilith’s input. Since Lilith had worked closely with the board, and by extent, the Council, her point of view was likely more realistic than Camila’s. 

“Personally, no. But symbolically? Yes. I’d imagine there’s an entire team trying to keep her from becoming a martyr.” Lilith handed Camila a screwdriver before continuing. “But there’s a bigger force they should be worrying about.” 

“Who?” 

“Us!” Lilith smiled slightly.

“Oh.” Camila returned her grin, but it seemed hollow.

“What’s wrong?” 

“I just worry… There’s only a few of us. Do we really stand any chance or is everything we do meaningless?” 

“You’ve been thinking about this for a while, haven’t you?” Lilith was no stranger to the far away look in Camila’s eyes. 

“Yes and no.” Camila extricated herself from the shielding module. “Sometimes it’s hard to be hopeful. I feel like we are going up against an unstoppable enemy. Especially after…” 

“I understand.” Lilith pulled Camila into a hug. “But if anything, Ava has proved that even a single person can have a huge impact.” 

“You’re right.” They broke apart and Camila pressed a quick kiss to Lilith’s lips. “I still can’t believe…  _ God,  _ it makes me sick to think about. And angry.” 

“Me too.” Lilith nodded. Though she’d never met Ava, she was plenty outraged by the senseless violence. 

“All the more reason to keep fighting.” Camila resolved before delving back into her work. 

\-----

_ Spring 2190, Solis 6, Outskirts of Crater’s Edge Settlement _

Ava gave Crater’s Edge a wide berth. She didn’t know the specifics of their monitoring system, but she didn’t want to give the Council motivation to raze another town. With a start, Ava remembered her first trip here, with Beatrice and Camila. They’d sat together on the grassy knoll just north of the gates that led into the settlement. Memories were all Ava had left and she was determined to hang onto them, however small. 

“Hey!” One of the guards must have seen her silhouette against the vibrant sunset and called out to her. Ava ignored him and quickened her pace, despite desperately wanting to stop. She had been walking for a week - near constantly since the attack on Firebend. “Hey! Stop!” He shouted again, now running towards Ava. 

Frustrated and scared, Ava began to run too. She didn’t get far, though. In her weakened state, she managed to trip after only a few paces, earning a faceful of grass. Between the radiation sickness, exhaustion, and lack of food, Ava was in no shape to fight. Instead, she resigned herself to an imagined reality, where the guard would put a laser through her skull. And after everything that had happened, Ava reasoned, it was well-deserved. A moment later, he arrived, slightly out of breath from the run over. 

“Hey, there’s a -” He had been reaching down to help her up when the guard froze. Ava watched him intently, but terrified and curious. “It’s you… From the wanted posters.” He whispered, making Ava shiver. “But also… You’ve been here before.” 

“Yes.” Ava was still on the ground, but she made no move to run nor to fight.

“You gave all your rations to my son.” He added softly.

“Yes.” Ava answered monosyllabically for the second time.

“And you provided huge supply crates of aid a few months later.” He seemed to be putting the pieces together aloud, so Ava remained silent. “What are you doing here?” 

“Why were you trying to stop me?” Ava was hesitant to answer his question, but curious about his own motives about following her, especially since he hadn't known who she was at the time. 

“Oh.” He scratched his head awkwardly. “There is a huge solar storm only a few klicks ahead. Huge one. Didn’t want you to walk into it.” 

“Thank you.” Ava whispered, swaying slightly on her feet. She felt like death.

“Are you going to answer my question now?” 

“How much time do you have?” Ava countered.

“Why don’t you come back into town and stay the night?” He offered. “With everything that you’ve done, no one would dare turn you in to the Council.”

“I… Can’t.” 

“Why?” 

“Last week, did you see the massive plume of smoke? Rising just south of here?” Ava pointed in the direction she’d come. 

“Yeah, of course.” He nodded. “We assumed it was a firestorm. They are common this time of year.” 

“It wasn’t.” Ava sighed. If he didn’t think she was an awful person already, he would after she made her confession. “The Council bombed Firebend. It no longer exists.” 

“What?” The look on his face was one of shock and disbelief.

  
“Because I was there.” Ava clarified darkly. “So no, I can’t come into town with you, as much as I’d like to. I can’t risk being seen on your security system, lest you want Crater’s Edge to suffer the same fate.” 

“I… Just…” He stuttered, trying to make sense of Ava’s words. 

“How is your son?” Ava asked, suddenly. She remembered the boy well. He’d been sick, last time Ava was here, and small for his age. His suffering in the face of the Council’s opulence made angry, even then.

“He’s good.” The guard nodded, slightly startled by Ava’s non sequitur. “At least partially thanks to you. You dropped more medical supplies in a single day than we usually see in a decade. The town’s finally plague free since we don’t need to constantly ration supplies.” 

“I’m happy to hear that.” Ava replied with a small smile. And she genuinely was. The guard looked her up and down, quiet for a moment before replying. 

“I can’t let you just walk into a storm… No offense, but you don’t look great…” He seemed tentative about saying the last part, but he was far from wrong. 

“I appreciate that.” Ava mumbled, looking down at her boots. “But I don’t really have a choice, do I? I already won’t be able to forgive myself for what happened in Firebend. Seeing it happen to another settlement… Well, if I’m not already broken, that would definitely do it.” 

Ava almost laughed at the absurdity of the situation, at how much she was revealing to this guard. She didn’t even know his name. But after a sickening, painful week of walking alone, Ava was desperate for contact. Her nerves were beyond frayed, as jagged as the edges of her shirt. In this state, the guard’s kindness made her eyes water.

“I…” He paused, in thought. “There’s a small, abandoned watch tower, just inside the treeline.” He gestured to it and immediately Ava saw the structure amidst the foliage. “No cameras. Can you just wait there, for an hour?” 

“I suppose, but w -”

“I’m going to run into town.” He interrupted. “I understand that you can’t come stay, but after everything you’ve done… Well, I can at least make your journey a little easier.” 

At that, Ava fully began to cry. She felt unhinged. 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you cry!” He held his hands up.

“No, no.” Ava shook her head and roughly wiped the tears away. “It’s not your fault. Sorry. I’ve had… It’s been a hard several months. Let’s just say that.” 

“I… Alright.” He turned. “I’ll be back soon. Please don’t leave.” 

“I won’t.” Ava whispered, before heading to the tower. 

After only a few moments in the shade, Ava fell asleep in the shadow of the old tower. She’d barely rested since the incident a week ago. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the town burning once more. Today was different. Maybe she was too exhausted to keep it up, or maybe the guard’s kindness had been a sort of catharsis. Either way, an hour of sleep was far better than nothing. 

“Hey. It’s me.” The guard whispered, kneeling beside Ava’s sleeping form. 

“Ah!” Ava awoke, scared in her half-lucidity.

“It’s only me!” The guard took a step back, trying to calm Ava down. “Sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you.”    
“Oh.” Ava visibly relaxed. “Sorry.”

“It’s alright.” He handed her a well-stocked bag. “This is for you.”

“Thank you.” Ava breathed, feeling the heft of the bag in her hands. Her gratitude in that moment was immeasurable. 

“I wasn’t sure exactly what you’d need, I did ask around a bit. I’m afraid I’ve already shared your story with more than a few residents.” 

“That’s…” Ava wasn’t sure how she felt about that. It wasn’t exactly a secret, she just hoped that no one would be hurt because of it. “Fine?” 

“There’s a sleeping roll and tent in there.” He reported quietly after a moment’s hesitation. “Plus a full medkit. Food and water, of course, plus a notebook. Just in case.” The guard smiled and then continued. “I also slipped in a few extra magazines of ammo, which  _ went missing  _ if anyone asks.” 

“Thank you.” Ava repeated. She had been hyper aware of not only her general lack of food, but also the scant amount of ammo for her weapons.

“After what you’ve done, I wish there was more I could do, honestly.” 

“Please. This is more than enough. You’ve endangered yourself already by helping me. I’m sorry for that.” 

“Still… If you follow this path through the forest, there is a smuggler’s landing pad deep in the forest. They are in and out a few times a week. You might be able to hitch a ride off world.” He added.

“Really?” Ava raised an eyebrow. That was incredibly useful information.

“Really.” He nodded. “They’ve been supplying the town with…  _ Illicit  _ goods for a few years now.” 

“Thank you. Genuinely.” Ava smiled. “What’s your name?” 

“Harold.” He told her stoically.

Ava extended her hand and he shook it firmly. “Thank you, Harold. You may have just saved my life today.” 

“Of course. You’re a hero.” He replied.

“Oh, no.” Ava’s smile fell from her face. “I’m nothing of the sort. I’m just trying to help people.” 

“I know. That’s why I say it.” 

Harold turned. “But I have to get back to my post or my boss will have my hide. Please, stay safe out there. Okay?”

“I’ll do my best.” Ava replied, still bristling slightly from his praise. “You too.” 

“Of course.” Harold nodded before retreating from the site and back to Crater’s Edge. Once again, Ava was alone. 

\-----

_ Spring 2190, Terra 2, Aboard the Crusader, Outside Myre’s Pass _

It took nearly a full day for the team to reach their destination. Myre’s Pass was a remote settlement on Terra 2, a poorly controlled one, at that. Beatrice had barely spoken to anyone during the entire journey, but stood in the main hall during Shannon’s briefing regardless. Despite her internal distractions, she wasn’t blind to the concerned looks of her friends. Looks that, in honesty, she’d rather avoid all together. 

“I just got an updated account from Superion.” Shannon began, looking down at the holopad in her hands. “The Council is building a weapons array just outside of town. It has amplified already existing tensions between colonists and the Council here. There have been a few fatalities already. We’re here in  _ strictly  _ an oversight capacity, to try and prevent further violence.” 

“That being said…” Mary continued. “Should the Council give us a reason to attack, don’t hesitate to do so.” 

“Exactly.” Shannon nodded with a somewhat grim expression on her face. “Camila, how many deployables do we currently have operational?” 

“Five.” 

“Great. Can you have them armed and ready outside the ship, just in case?” 

“Of course.” Camila pulled out a mini holopad and typed in a series of commands. A moment later, the automated turrets that were stored against the wall whirred to life and exited the ship. There was silence for a second as everyone stared in amazement. Normally, deployables needed to be individually wheeled out by a human and then manually set and programmed. 

“Why is everyone looking at me?” Camila wondered when she finally glanced up from her screen.

“When did you design that?” Shannon asked. She had dozens of ‘fond’ memories of trying to coax heavy deployables out of the mud.

“I’ve been working on it for a few months.” Camila blushed slightly. The captain of her CAS crew was usually angry when Camila tampered with the equipment, even to make improvements. She wasn’t used to the praise. 

“They are still in their prototype phases.” Lilith clarified, having helped Camila with most of the work. They were nye inseparable. “But tested and functional enough for something like this.” She added. 

“Remind me to call my contact when we get back.” Mary told Camila. “I might be able to get you some exclusive automech parts.” 

“Really?” Camila’s eyes lit up as they exited the ship as a group, with Beatrice staying silent at the back. 

“Yes.” Mary nodded. “I have an acquaintance who works at the AUG factory.” She neglected to mention how she knew this person, but no one asked. Mary was quite secretive, but in the best way. 

The walk into town was quiet after that, at least between the group. A protest occupied the main square, with Council guards patrolling the outskirts. Clearly, it was a tense scene. 

“Some of the signs mention the incident in Firebend.” Beatrice observed. Her voice was slightly hoarse from disuse. “I didn’t know it had become public knowledge.” 

“Neither did I…” Shannon muttered, looking on curiously. 

“You don’t think there was a…?” Camila didn’t finish her sentence. She couldn’t bring herself to say  _ survivor.  _

“It’s unlikely.” Beatrice replied with a tone as cold as ice. Completely hard and unyielding, and entirely unlike her. 

“What do we make of those?” Lilith gestured to a massive display of posters that adorned the wall of a nearby shop.

Dozens of copies of Ava’s wanted poster were tacked to the siding, though they’d all been modified. Beatrice crept closer, already lost in thought, while her team looked on from the main road. Some of the posters now read ‘Hero,’ while others had more disparaging terms, such as ‘Traitor.’

“What does this mean?” Beatrice whispered to herself before pulling a few from the wall and folding them up. She was creating quite the collection, it seems. 

“Is it possible Ava survived?” Mary whispered while Beatrice was looking at the array of wanted posters. It was better that she didn’t hear this conversation. “How else would people know about Firebend? And more specifically, her involvement?”

“I still think it’s a stretch…” Shannon didn’t want to be negative, but she was a logical woman. “But it’s certainly evidence now.” 

“What are the chances that she was outside of the town when the missiles hit?” Lilith wondered aloud. “She would’ve had to be at least a hundred feet away to even have a chance of surviving. And that’s neglecting the side effects of any radiation. The Council doesn’t fuck around when it comes to weaponry.”

“All we know is the OCSF didn’t leak the information about the attack.” Camila chimed in. “There aren’t any settlements near enough to have seen the missiles, so…”

“There must have been a survivor.” Shannon made the logical conclusion. “Though, the chances that it was the specific woman we are looking for…”

“But there is a  _ chance. _ ” Despite everything, Camila felt the hope rising in her chest. 

“Theoretically.” Lilith whispered. “I’d say we shouldn’t mention this to Beatrice, but she’s likely made the connections faster than we have.” 

Lilith was right in her observation. Beatrice was nothing if not intelligent. Silently, she stood in front of all the posters, trying to make sense of it all. Logically, this must mean that there was a survivor. That was all but undeniable. Would just any survivor have made the link between Ava’s presence and the attack? Surely that couldn’t be coincidental. Could it? Beatrice’s thoughts were running so quickly, she was completely oblivious to the world around her. 

That is, at least until a nearby gunshot echoed through the narrow street.


	10. Certain Uncertainty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Good news all around, but it's not the news you're hoping for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I KNOW i have other fics to update. but damn this fic is 25k+ long now and im sick of ava and bea being separated so this is all i want to work on. hopefully you can forgive me for another longer than usual chapter :)

_Spring 2190, Terra 2, Myre’s Pass_

One of the Council officers had fired into the crowd. What had been a relatively calm scene quickly dissolved into chaos. It was clear which side would win without intervention. Despite the Council’s limited numbers, Beatrice had only counted six of them, they were well armed. She threw a quick glance at Mary, who’s cybernetic arm had transformed to reveal a massive plasma blaster. 

Following suit, Beatrice unsheathed her own weapon and flipped off the safety. Now was no time for mercy, as the Council guards wouldn’t hesitate to kill civilians now that the crowd had become scared. In their eyes, this was dangerous insubordination. In other words, violence was now easily justified. Even with her disciplined thoughts firmly focused on battle, the realisation still made Beatrice feel sick. 

Her team was quickly taking down officers on the other side of the chaotic street, but there were two guards closer to her. Without thought, Beatrice took cover behind a low wall. She had to be careful. In this crowded area, a stray shot could kill an innocent. Using the wall to stabilise her weapon, Beatrice fired a clean shot through the officer’s helmet. The powerful blast melted the material before killing him almost instantly. 

As she vaulted over the wall and moved closer to the second guard, Beatrice knew she should have felt remorse. But she didn’t. After everything the Council had done, she couldn’t seem to find any sympathy within her heart. Maybe what happened on Solis 6 really had broken her. With a shake of her head, Beatrice shook the thoughts from her head. She couldn’t afford to be distracted right now. 

A moment later, she sunk a second shot, killing the officer in a moment. Beatrice’s eyes found her teammates, who were now working to calm the crowd. Save for Camila, who was manipulating the small holopad in her hands. Moving towards them calmly, Beatrice felt outside herself. Desperately, she wanted to ask around, to see if anyone knew about Ava. She couldn’t though, at least, not until the scene was secured. 

Beneath them, the ground began to rumble. A well-armed tank crested over the hill shortly after. Everyone froze. They could take out guards all day, but an armoured tank was another story. A deep voice echoed from the vehicle as it stopped on the edge of the crowd. It was so loud that the windows on the nearby buildings shook in their frames. 

“Surrender now.” The voice told them. Stillness prevailed for a second, but soon the crowd began laying down their signs and holding their hands up in surrender. Beatrice didn’t blame them. Council forces had decimated towns for less. She, however, was less willing to relinquish her weapon. 

“OCSF operatives.” The voice had now addressed them personally. Mary looked livid. “You have ten seconds to relinquish your weaponry.” Beatrice looked at her teammates. Her friends. No one seemed keen to acquiesce. This was unsurprising, since being apprehended by the Council almost certainly meant an extended prison sentence for the lot of them. 

“I’ll count. Ten. Nine. Eight.” One of the massive guns mounted atop the tank hummed to life. Lilith moved first, bending over to lay her rifle on the dusty ground.

“It’s not worth it.” She whispered. "We’re outdrawn."

“Seven. Six. Five.” Beatrice moved next. She wouldn’t be able to find Ava if she was dead. This was the right choice, wasn’t it?

Just as Mary and Shannon moved to do the same, the tank fired a ‘warning shot’ into a nearby building. The crackling heat of a plasma weapon burned through the air as the building promptly exploded. Mary and Shannon were both thrown by the blast, knocked heavily to the ground by the painful shockwave. Neither of them got up. Whatever ‘trust’ or ‘goodwill’ that the Council might have had was lost in that moment. 

Whether it was an accidental shot, an attempt to kill, or otherwise, no one ever knew. Because a split second later, Camila’s custom deployables rolled over the hill, and immediately unleashed a barrage of fire against the tank. Two officers tried to climb out, but the turrets gunned them down in an instant. Beatrice looked over at Camila, who had been typing commands into the holopad controller behind her back during the standoff. Impressive work.

With the tank neutralised, the three of them found Mary and Shannon among the rubble. “Mary, are you alright?” Lilith asked, kneeling beside Mary’s form.

“Fine.” Mary coughed. Her face was coated with blood and dust. “Arm’s busted. Where’s Shannon?” At that, Beatrice almost smiled. Even in injury, Mary’s thoughts immediately flew to Shannon. She could relate.

“Over here.” Shannon extricated herself from beneath a wooden façade, with Camila’s help. Like Mary, she was bleeding in several places, but not mortally wounded. Today had been too close a call.

“Thank _God._ ” Mary rose slowly, though her cybernetic arm hung useless by her side.

“I can fix that.” Camila told Mary quietly. “And improve the action, if you want. There’s no reason you should have such a delay between shots.” 

  
“Thanks Camila.” Mary smiled, despite everything. “That was quick thinking, by the way. You saved a lot of lives today.” 

“For today.” Beatrice added grimly. “Dead Council officers and ruined property. We just turned this settlement into a ticking time bomb. Give it a week or less and there will be repercussions.” 

“Agreed.” Lilith nodded. “The Council isn’t likely to forget this… _Embarrassment.”_

“Beatrice, what do you suggest?” Shannon asked while wiping the blood from her eyes. Suddenly, everyone’s eyes were on Beatrice. She felt rather on the spot. 

“You’re asking me?” Beatrice couldn’t help but mutter before she could stop herself.

“Yes.” Shannon was clearly not budging on this. “Will that be a problem?” 

“No, I…” Beatrice stopped. Since the incident on Solis 6, she had almost unconsciously assumed that everyone thought lesser of her. That she was weak. Clearly, that wasn’t the case. 

“We don’t have a lot of options.” Beatrice said after a minute of thought and deliberation. Her expression was nothing short of ashen. “Leaving this settlement without doing anything is a death sentence. We might as well shoot the colonists ourselves.” 

“Agreed.” Camila whispered. 

“But if we dismantle the weapons array, we’d essentially be declaring war.” Beatrice posited quietly.

“There has to be a third, less shitty option.” Mary said, not bothering to hide her contempt. “Plus side, whatever colonists were loyal to the Council before this… Well, I doubt they are now.”  
“Our third option is we arm these residents to the teeth.” Beatrice replied. “Leave the weapons array as it is and advise the colonists accordingly. It’s far from elegant but I don’t think the Council will agree to unconditional freedom.”

“You’re right.” Shannon had a determined look in her eyes. “Alright. Beatrice, Lilith. Stay here, find whoever is in charge. Mary, Camila, and I will head back to the ship and round up whatever weaponry we can spare. Understood?” 

“Yes.” Lilith answered first.

“Yes.” Beatrice echoed a second later. 

\-----

_Spring 2190, Solis 6, Outside of Crater’s Edge_

Ava had camped in the forest near the smuggler’s landing pad for three days. The rad-gel in the first aid kit had thankfully cured her radiation sickness, though it did little for the pain in her heart. That, Ava concluded with a frown, would stay with her for life. On the fourth day, Ava’s thoughts were interrupted. It was a sunny day, as most are on Solis 6, and she saw the smugglers’ ship long before she heard it.

For several moments, as the ship descended to the landing pad, Ava stood hidden in the treeline. She had a decision to make. Should she try to stowaway on the ship or should she convince the smugglers to take her along? A decision came to her within seconds. It was a small ship and hiding would be notoriously difficult. Instead, Ava stepped from her cover and walked towards the landing pad. She was a wanted murderer, maybe she could use that as some sort of clout. 

Of course, anyone who had known Ava for more than five minutes knew that she didn’t like killing. But smugglers wouldn’t know that, right? Nervous, Ava held her breath as the door of the ship slid open, revealing two women dressed in black. They didn’t fire on sight, which was already a welcome gift, but instead walked closer.

“Look who it is.” One woman, the taller one, said to the other. “Public enemy number one.” 

“But what are you doing here?” The shorter woman asked Ava a second later. They completed each other’s sentences so thoroughly that Ava wondered if they had cranial implants that allowed them to communicate telepathically. “On our _supposedly_ secret landing pad in the middle of a forest on Solis 6.” 

“That’s… A bit of a long story.” Ava’s hesitation had just lost her any upper hand she might have had. That was hardly how a hardened criminal spoke. Though her radiation sickness was cleared up, she was still operating far from full capacity. “I need to get to the Groundbreaker.”

“The Groundbreaker, she says.” The taller woman repeated Ava’s request with the barest hint of a smile. “No small task.” 

“Isn’t it?” Ava raised an eyebrow. She wasn’t used to operating on this side of the law. “Smugglers are in and out of the Groundbreaker’s docking bay constantly.”  
“Getting there is the problem.” The shorter woman explained, slightly venomous. “Council patrols are everywhere. Though they aren’t permitted aboard the station, they know which routes people take in and out. It’s easy to get intercepted.” 

“We’ve lost a lot of good men that way.” The taller woman added with a grim expression. 

“Actually…” Ava hesitated once more. “I might be able to help with that.” 

“Is that so?” She took a few steps closer to Ava, as if trying to determine her character. “Maybe we can come to some sort of arrangement.” 

“I’d like to think so.” Ava felt tears burning in her throat, but she held them back. “I worked in CAS, I know most of the Council’s patrol routes.” She neglected to mention how closely she had studied them in preparation for her ‘crime.’

“So you want to be our guide?” The shorter woman stayed further away, clearly unsure of Ava’s motives. 

“More or less.” Ava shrugged. “I’m pretty sure the Council thinks I’m dead, anyhow. But if they find out I’m not, you can dob me in and pretend that was your plan all along. That way, you’ll both make a _substantial_ payout and stay free of any prison time.” 

“Bold move, betting with your own life.” The taller woman seemed impressed with Ava’s tenacity. Or perhaps, reckless stupidity. 

“I don’t have a lot of collateral right now.” Ava admitted, painfully aware that all she owned was in her backpack. “But I’m a good gun hand and a decent pilot. I could be helpful, if you’ll have me.” 

“What do you say, Zori?” The taller woman turned and asked her partner. “She looks a bit frail, but not dishonest.” 

“I’m literally right here.” Ava muttered, though the women weren’t wrong. 

“You might be aboard longer than you realise.” Zori replied carefully. Her reasoning through the potential issues was a good sign though, Ava deduced. “This ship is built for stealth, not speed. Shielding tech is heavy. Plus, you’ve caught us on the tail end of our route. We won’t pass by the Groundbreaker for several weeks.”

“That’s alright.” Ava nodded, trying to keep her composure.

“Then welcome to the team.” The taller woman extended a hand. “I’m Chanel.” 

“Ava.” Ava replied, only to realise it was a bit daft to do so. Everyone knew who she was already. Having people constantly recognising her was going to take some getting used to.

“And I’m Zori.” Zori shook Ava’s hand a moment later. 

And just like that, Ava joined a new crew. Not a permanent one, mind you, but a crew all the same. Their work began immediately, as the three of them worked quickly to unload boxes of contraband from the ship. With a start, Ava realised the goods were hardly illegal weapons, like she had been unconsciously expecting. Rather, most of the crates were packed with luxury goods, food, and other items that were normally only available to wealthier members of society. This made Ava smile for the first time since the incident in Firebend. 

\-----

_Spring 2190, Terra 2, Myre’s Pass_

The mayor’s office smelt of moss. Beatrice was oddly struck by this as she followed Lilith and the settlement’s mayor into the dim room. She imperceptibly shook her head. For at least the rest of this mission, she needed to keep a tighter handle on her thoughts. Later, once everyone was safe, she could let her mind wander. Perhaps more aptly stated, she could let her thoughts return to Ava.

“Thank you for your intervention today.” The mayor began once the three of them were seated. In the early days of the Council’s rule and introduction of human colonies in space, settlement mayors were usually elite and well-appointed men. There were a lot of casualties. Partially because early colonial life was even more dangerous, but also because residents were quick to blame their leader when being mistreated by the Council. Go figure. 

Because of this, local mayors were now elected and were usually born in the settlements that they presided over. Such was the case for Myre’s Pass’s mayor, an older woman referred to simply as ‘Sio.’

“It wasn’t the most elegant of solutions, I’m afraid.” Lilith replied graciously. Years of working for the board had made her all too good at speaking professionally. 

“Perhaps not.” Sio steepled her fingers, clearly in thought. “We lost another civilian today at their hands, plus seventeen total during the past fortnight. So, I hope you can understand that I’m not overly upset at the loss of Council lackeys.” 

“We can understand that.” Beatrice chimed in, respectful but quiet. “But we worry about repercussions. Firebend was razed only two weeks ago, for… Barely a reason. What happened today could have massive consequences.”

“I am well aware of what happened in Firebend.” Sio replied. Beatrice had to bite her tongue to keep from asking the details. Once their official business had been sorted, then she could inquire after her missing _friend._

“Myre’s Pass contributes much more to the Council’s wealth. If I’m not mistaken, several citizens work in their weapons development labs, with dozens more set to be hired to work on the weapons array.” Lilith reasoned.

“While today was unfortunate, you have a lot more in your favour.” Beatrice added. “Our colleagues are at the ship right now gathering supplies to better arm your colonists with.” 

“I…” Sio paused and sighed heavily. “I don’t want it to come to conflict.” 

“Nor do any of us, genuinely.” Beatrice told her, though lately it was getting harder and harder to feel remorse when it came to the Council. “But if the residents of your settlement were to become more of a threat, the Council would likely think twice.”

“Exactly.” Lilith glanced at Beatrice and gave her a nod. They worked well as a team. “While the Council doesn’t think twice about killing civilians, they hesitate to jump into situations that could result in their own casualties. With how much Myre’s Pass contributes to weapons development, it’s safe to say that we can avoid another Firebend situation.” Even the mention of it made Beatrice feel ill.

“Can I ask something?” Sio seemed calmer now, reassured by the OCSF’s actions and aid. The rumours about the organisation were, in fact, true. Not only that, but it seemed that there was finally a force in the galaxy for good.

“Of course.” Beatrice answered, thinking of her own questions, too.

“Why are you doing this?”

“Doing what, exactly?” Lilith wasn’t sure what Sio was referring to.

“Helping people. Cleaning up the Council’s messes. I can’t imagine it’s an easy job. With how many colonists are still loyalists, too…” She trailed off in thought but Beatrice had heard enough.

“You’re right. It’s not an easy job. I suppose someone has to do it, though.” She ran a hand over her hair, it was one of Beatrice’s nervous habits. Ava had been the first to call her out on it. “We all have our motivations. It helps, I think, to be a part of something bigger than yourself. Something which, at least I think, is important.” 

“Well put.” Lilith whispered in agreement.

“You’re both honourable women.” Sio hesitated, she was clearly slightly taken by Beatrice’s words. “I’ll talk to a few of my citizens who work in the labs; see if they can’t sneak a few extra weapons out during their shifts.”

“That’s a good idea.” Said Lilith. “Obviously, make sure they’re careful. This situation still has the potential to escalate and I can’t promise we’ll be here next time.” 

“Understood.” Sio scrawled a few notes down.

“Sio, if I may…” Beatrice began, somewhat apprehensive.

“Yes?” After what happened today, Sio felt as though she was indebted to the OCSF team.

“How do you know about what happened in Firebend?” 

“Is it meant to be a secret?” Sio raised an eyebrow, slightly confused. 

“Well, yes.” Beatrice tried to take a deep breath but her lungs didn’t want to cooperate. “We didn’t release the information and neither did the Council. So the only logical conclusion is that there was a survivor.”

“Yes, of course.” Sio nodded. “The one person that the Council was trying to kill. Ava Silva.” 

“Do you know for sure?” Beatrice couldn’t keep the desperation out of her voice and Lilith, upon realising this, laid a gentle hand on Beatrice’s shoulder. She didn’t want Beatrice to get too hopeful about what was, essentially, a rumour. 

“Nothing is ever _for sure._ Not with how the Council controls information.” Sio’s words rang truer to both guests than she could have ever realised. “But people talk. The Council routinely splits up families and sends them to different colonies based on their aptitude tests. Thus, information travels faster than one might think.”

“Of course.” Lilith was angry that she hadn’t realised it sooner, especially with her former proximity to the board. 

“Their cruelty might just be to our advantage.” Beatrice posited with a far away look in her eyes. “Please, Sio. Everything you’ve heard about it, I _need_ to know. Finding Ava is…” How could she explain this? “A priority of mine.” 

“There isn’t much, I’m afraid.” Sio sighed. She, like most colonists, was no stranger to loss. “There was word out of Crater’s Edge. Guard said he met the girl from the wanted posters and she explained to him what happened.”

Beatrice grew more tense than she already was, but didn’t reply. Instead, Sio continued. 

“As you can imagine, news of this spread quickly. A lot of colonists think of Ava as a hero, given the supply drops back in September. This was… Perhaps a bit more polarising. For many, it only galvanised an already existent hatred of the Council. Others blamed Ava for putting innocents at risk.”

“It wasn’t her fault!” Beatrice spoke before she could stop herself and Lilith’s grip on her shoulder tightened. “Sorry. I just… Well, she couldn’t have known that would happen.”

“I agree with you.” Sio held up her hands. “I wish I had more to tell you. In truth, Ava’s been the talk of the town. A lot of my residents view her as the symbol of the resistance.” 

“That’s…” Lilith’s hesitation was telling. “Concerning.”

“Perhaps.” Sio didn’t seem bothered. “Her continued survival is inspiring. I think it gives a lot of people hope that this fight against the Council might not be as futile as we once thought.” 

“I… Maybe not.” Beatrice choked against the tears that were rising in her throat.

“I’m sorry I don’t have more information for you.” 

“I’ll leave an access key so you can contact us.” Lilith reported, before standing and dragging a quickly deteriorating Beatrice with her. “Both for any other rumours or trouble with the Council.”

“Thank you.” Sio rose and shook both their hands. “And stay safe.”

Beatrice made it all of six steps out of the building before her tears came. Frustrated with herself for being so weak, she hid her face in her hands. Hours ago, she thought Ava was _dead._ She’d never get to see her again, never get to laugh and talk with her again, never admit well… The importance of their _friendship._ But now? Beatrice felt as though her world had been turned upside down. Was she putting too much stock in rumour? She didn’t know. Uncertainty was all that was certain. 

Lilith wrapped an arm around the sobbing Beatrice and held her close. They’d grown closer in the last few months together, undoubtedly, but the gesture was still surprising. Some part of Lilith wanted to remind Beatrice not to become overly hopeful over the news, but she realised that Beatrice already knew this. Instead, Lilith tried to imagine switching places with her, and Camila was the one missing and presumed dead. The thought made her sick. She held Beatrice a little tighter after that.


	11. The Noodle Code

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ava makes a plan. Camila receives a message.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i banged this chap out in like an hour so dont roast me yall

_ Spring 2190, Smuggler’s Landing Pad Near Crater’s Edge _

Ships have a personality. It seemed, at least in Ava’s experience, when a crew put their trust in a spacefaring vessel, some of their personality was captured inside those metallic walls. When Ava was younger, and perhaps a bit more naïve she thought this was like the bond humans used to share with their horses when riding into battle. She’d read about that, of course, in old stories. The observation always seemed childish, so she had never shared it with anyone. Except Beatrice.

The smuggler’s ship was no exception to this rule, Ava realised almost immediately. Christmas lights were strung up through the atrium, which was well-appointed with expensive furniture, though none of it matched. Against one wall was a corkboard, covered fully in photos and handwritten notes. With a start, Ava realised that the board commemorated the dead.  _ In memoriam,  _ read the small etching beneath the somber display.

Ava didn’t have much time to be distracted, though, as there were two dozen more boxes to be unloaded. None of them were light, or at least, not to Ava. Neither Zori nor Chanel seemed to be struggling overmuch, but Ava’s skin burned with sweat by her third box. By her sixth, her muscles shook with exhaustion. If it wasn’t already apparent what the last six months had taken from her, it was now. 

Physical strength, as it happens, can be rebuilt. With time. A luxury which Ava didn’t have access to. Not that she had access to many luxuries at this point in time. But at least for the moment, she was safe. She still had a few possessions and her mind. Her mental and emotional strength had taken a battering too, but they were far from breaking. Breaking, as it turns out, wasn’t in Ava’s nature. 

When citizens of the Council’s colonies turn fourteen, they are given an aptitude test. According to the Council’s most artfully constructed propaganda, it is a well-researched assessment that places citizens in a career most suited to their skills. This may be true. These careers, however, reflect a citizen’s best in terms of the Council, not their own well-being or happiness. Doubly so since the Council wouldn’t hesitate to split families and friends apart based solely on aptitude results. 

Ava, like all citizens, took her exam at fourteen. It was why she was placed in the military. Her strong mind, determination, and cleverness under stress were all admirable traits for a soldier. The practitioner of her exam wrote only one detrimental note, which was a rarity in itself, though it was a rather large warning.  _ A.S. shows lack of respect for authority.  _

Only a decade later did that warning truly matter. Because even as Ava dove into the manual labour, she was thinking. Despite her incredibly fortunate new position, her options were still limited. The Council had eyes everywhere and she needed to stay hidden, lest she lose the advantage of being presumed dead. 

Through all this, Ava was dedicated. She alternated between two thoughts most of the time. First, she needed to find the OCFS and begin working on a plan to dismantle the Council. Insane? Perhaps. But everything she had been through and everything she had seen had only served to further harden Ava’s resolve. Humans had destroyed themselves and other planets several times in the past. She didn’t want to sit by and watch it happen again. 

Her second thought was less straightforward, pun intended. Ava longed for Beatrice. Some days, the aching in her heart was so painful that she was tempted to laser the treacherous organ from her chest. Nothing had happened between them.  _ Well, not yet, _ Ava thought hopefully. The countless near death experiences only made her wish for Beatrice’s presence even more. So she could finally explain how she felt. 

Ava Silva was not a coward. No one who knew her would ever accuse her of such a thing. She’d faced mutants that were triple her size, sketchy vessels that only barely protected her from the vacuum of space, Council officers, and even a horde of angry salvagers whose favourite laser cutter had been discontinued. But the thought of telling Beatrice how she felt,  _ truly felt,  _ made Ava more scared than she scared to admit. 

“Ava?” Zori’s voice broke through Ava’s thoughts and she set down the last box she had been carrying.

“Hmm?” 

“We’re done here. Are you ready to leave?” Zori asked. At that, Ava looked between the open ship and small shed adjacent to the landing pad, now stocked with boxes. She had been so lost in her thoughts she barely realised what had been happening. Not for the first time recently Ava wondered if she was going insane. 

“Oh. Yes.” Ava began walking back onto the small craft, a few paces behind Zori. Chanel was already in the cockpit, preparing the ship for flight. 

“It’ll be a few days before we get to our next stop on Aorus 1.” Zori explained, somewhat formally, as she manipulated the controls of the massive door. It closed quickly. “Do you want something to eat?”

“I…” Ava paused and closed her eyes. She wondered if she looked as frail as she felt. Her thoughts were short lived, as her mind was quick to remind her of the horrible, sickening events in Firebend. How could she eat? Her stomach was already full of guilt. “No, thank you. I would love some rest though, if you have an extra room?” 

“Of course.” Zori gave her a curious once over before leading her up the stairs. Meanwhile, the ship lifted almost imperceptibly beneath their feet. 

Without comment nor conversation, Ava followed Zori through the narrow hallway. Most ships were built the same and this one was no exception. Small cabins lined the corridor, likely with identical layouts. At the end of the hall was a kitchen, just like the ship she’d served on with Camila. With  _ Beatrice.  _

“Take your pick.” She gestured to a one side of the corridor. Four doors, four unoccupied rooms. Ava was silent for a moment, but then spoke quietly.

“You’ve lost people.” It wasn’t a question, not really. Zori only replied with a somber nod. “I’m sorry.” Ava continued. She was nothing if not empathetic and genuine. “Truly.” 

“Thank you.” Zori whispered hoarsely. 

After a moment’s hesitation, Ava picked a door. They were all the same, really. It was unsurprisingly sparse in its furnishings, with only a bunk, a small desk, and a locker. Next to the bunk there was a small window, which Ava was happy to see. But much more importantly, the desk had a terminal. 

“Is this secure?” Ava asked as she gently set her backpack down on the floor.

“Yes.” Zori barely pondered the question for a moment. “Our network is solid. There was a breach once… It cost us lives. It’s not a mistake I intend to make again.” 

“Understood.” And Ava did understand, though she was slightly surprised at how much Zori had revealed. “But if you were being paid off by the Council, you would be lying to me.” 

Zori grabbed Ava’s wrist and pulled her closer. “Trust me when I say I have no affection for that group of cold blooded men.” She bit through gritted teeth. Zori released Ava’s wrist and continued, slightly more calm. “I might be a criminal, but I’m not evil. And honestly, I don’t think you are either.” 

“I’m not.” Breathed Ava, both intimidated but also respectful of Zori’s words. 

“Glad to hear it.” Zori smiled suddenly, before retreating to the doorway. “Like I said before, we have a few days before our next stop. Try to get some rest. You look like you could use it.” 

“Thank you.” Ava tried to return the smile, but it felt hollow. “I’ll try.” 

“Good.” With that, Zori closed the door and disappeared down the hall.

Ava would have  _ loved  _ to fall asleep and spent the next day in a peaceful slumber. It seemed unlikely. Her body was nothing short of burned out and exhausted, and she worried her mind was quickly spiraling into insanity. But still, Ava’s thoughts were burning with possibilities. A secure connection meant that she could send and receive messages. Not without access keys, though…

Slowly, Ava pulled off her shoes and lowered herself onto the bunk. Her heart hammered in her chest as she considered possibilities. There was one idea, a long shot at best, but it was her best plan for finding the OCSF. And hopefully, Beatrice too. With a deep, but restless breath, Ava closed her eyes. She needed to focus.

\-----

_ Fall 2190, Aboard the Groundbreaker _

While rumours of Ava continued to trickle in, they were no closer to finding her. Still, Beatrice was beyond happy that she was even  _ alive.  _ For now, that had to be enough. While she wasn’t quite the woman that she was before, the weight of grief had definitely been lifted from Beatrice’s shoulders. For the moment, at least. 

“Why do you insist on getting noodles every time?” Beatrice asked as she followed Camila across the busy promenade. The three of them were meant to be on a quick supply run, but Camila had a penchant for a specific noodle stand aboard the station.

“They aren’t even that good.” Lilith added. 

“Lilith, take that back.” Camila bit lightheartedly. 

“Oh my  _ God. _ ” Lilith mouthed to Beatrice, who laughed. 

“I can hear you laughing, Bea.” Camila replied without turning around. Their arrival at the noodle stand silenced any retorts that Beatrice might have come up with.

“Ah!” The noodle stand owner smiled upon seeing their favourite, curly-haired customer. “My favourite customer!” 

“Hi!” Camila gave them a slightly awkward hug over the table while Lilith and Beatrice only looked on, trying not to laugh. In fairness, the noodles were actually amazing, but they couldn’t admit that now. 

“What can I get for you today?” They asked, even though Camila nearly always ordered the same thing. 

“Spicy number three for me.” Camila answered without hesitation. 

“The same.” Lilith ordered, trusting Camila’s judgement. 

“Me too.” Beatrice replied, for the same reason. 

“Of course!” The noodle shop owner took Camila’s handful of credits and began preparing their orders at once. 

A few minutes later, Camila treaded carefully through the busy marketplace, balancing her bowl precariously in her hands. When she was a young recruit, she’d spilled more than her fair share of broth on this same promenade. She smiled at the memory. Upon sitting down and grabbing her spoon, she felt something odd taped beneath the handle. Curiously, she pulled out a piece of paper. 

“What’s that?” Beatrice inquired, casting a glance up to the noodle shop, which was now mysteriously unstaffed. 

“A note.” Camila unfolded it twice. The front read simply ‘Cam.’

“That’s…” Beatrice’s voice caught in her throat. “Ava’s handwriting.” And it was. Beatrice would know it anywhere. 

“What does it say?” Lilith asked the question that they all were thinking. 

_ Cam, _

_ Why, how are you my dear old friend? How is the spacefaring life treating you? Even with the time between us, I still think of you often. Really often. Especially a certain someone but I won’t mention her by name. Oh, I miss you both. Complicated world we are living in right now. Surely you know that. Fundamental changes need to occur? _

_ Always it seems that there are a dozen or more enemies on the horizon. Closing in by the second. Consider, for a moment, all nine months we’ve spent apart. Keeping time grows harder with the passing of every seventh day. Even looking at the five fingers on my two hands does little to quell my sadness. You understand, I hope, that in the eleventh hour, our struggles seem the worst. _

_ With love,  _

_ A _

“It’s gibberish.” Lilith said it first, while Beatrice seemed stuck in silence. “Maybe the radiation on Solis 6 melted her brain.” 

“Lilith…” Camila warned, giving Beatrice a cautious look.

“It’s in code.” Beatrice announced in a harsh whisper. She’d read Ava’s writing enough times to recognise the weight of her prose. This wasn’t it.

“Of course…” Lilith mumbled, feeling a bit like a jerk. Later, back on the ship, she likely owed Beatrice an apology. 

“May I?” Beatrice extended a hand and Camila passed her the single, folded sheet of paper. Even seeing Ava’s handwriting, new words that she hadn’t read, maybe Beatrice’s heart ache. 

Trying her best to focus, she scanned over the familiar, inky script, trying to find a pattern. It didn’t take her long. 

“The first letter of every sentence.” Beatrice breathed. “W, H, E, R, E, O, C, S, F, A, C, C, K, E, Y.” 

“She wants to know where the OCSF is.” Camila surmised. “Makes sense, no doubt she has heard of the organisation at least, though there isn’t any way to know that we’re in it.” 

“Plus ACC key, likely short for access key.” Lilith added. “The constant mention of numbers spells out the access key to a terminal.” 

“Exactly.” Beatrice allowed herself a rare smile. “Though we have to go about this carefully. The Council could be monitoring… Well, anything. And, though Ava had the foresight to not date her letter, she mentioned that we’ve been apart nine months. In truth, it’s been over a year now.”

“So, not exactly a warm lead.” Camila was still obviously excited. “But still the best we’ve had by far. From  _ Ava  _ herself.” 

“From  _ Ava  _ herself.” Beatrice repeated, though her thoughts were far away. One sentence kept ringing in her ears, a sentence that seemed a little bit too coincidental.  _ Especially a certain someone but I won’t mention her by name.  _ That had to be her, right? Or was Beatrice just being hopeful? Again.


	12. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this update is 8k long, so i definitely COULD have split it up into 2 or 3 parts. But i know everyone (myself included) wants the reunion asap. so here. dont say i never do anything for you

_Fall 2190, Aboard the Smuggler’s Ship_

Ava had fallen into a routine over the past few months. It wasn’t tremendously exciting. Once every few days, the ship would come into port and they would either load or unload several boxes of cargo. Due to an overabundance of caution, or perhaps just the right amount, Ava never ventured out with Zori and Chanel. The Council had eyes everywhere and Ava wanted to remain dead. For now, at least.

While far from eventful, this was good for Ava. Somewhat regular eating and sleeping helped her recover some of her strength, but frankly, she could have done with more of both. There was a lot still haunting her; a plethora of sickening images that seemed guiltily implanted in her brain. Despite that, somewhere along the way she became a decent crew member. Even better, Zori and Chanel became her friends. 

Positive improvements did little to ease her restlessness. There was so much Ava needed to do, but she wasn’t quite sure how. Not yet, at least. After leaving her message on the Groundbreaker, Ava only grew more restless. As soon as work was done for the day, she’d pace her tiny cabin, waiting for the computer to beep. Once she tired of pacing, she would write in the notebook that Harold had gifted her on Solis 6. It seemed like an eternity ago.

Days turned into weeks of waiting, a liminal space in which Ava’s thoughts grew increasingly distant. She feared the worst. The Council had seen through her plan and apprehended Camila on site. Less terrifying, but equally sad, perhaps Camila had stopped visiting the Groundbreaker with whatever position she had now. Ava had a hunch she’d stopped working for CAS alongside Beatrice. When she had been planning the message, she had simultaneously known it was a longshot, yet was also certain it would work. A weird mix, to be sure. 

All doubts were dispelled, of course, in late fall. When her computer finally elicited a beep. With frantic energy in her movements, Ava threw herself from the bunk and situated herself in front of the terminal. She keyed in her password in a moment and was greeted by a single message on the screen, sent by someone with the alias _Dark._

_Dark: How do I know it’s really you? How do I know your network is secure?_

Ava smiled, she expected nothing less. Of course, Ava asked Zori about network security every single day, a question which always received the same answer. After a second’s deliberation, she slowly typed out a response. She had never liked computers and used them as little as possible. As a result, Ava was a surprisingly slow typer.

_Canterbury: I could ask you the same._

_Dark: You could._

_Canterbury: Who am I speaking with?_

_Dark: B._

Ice spread through Ava’s veins. She’d expected, since her note was addressed to Camila, that she would be talking to Camila. Even this amount of contact with Beatrice, or allegedly Beatrice, was overwhelming. It rekindled the familiar pain in Ava’s heart, not that it was ever gone for long. Or at all, really.

_Canterbury: God, I’ve missed you._

_Dark: I’ve missed you too. More than you know._

_Canterbury: Are you safe?_

_Dark: I think I should be the one asking you that._

_Canterbury: For now. It hasn’t been a great year, if we’re being honest._

_Dark: I know._

She knew? Ava paused. How much did Beatrice know? Where was she? Was it really her? Questions blared through Ava’s mind faster than she could answer them. It was dangerous to speak plainly, everyone knew that the interplanetary communication lines were monitored by the Council, even if individual networks were secured. Ava would have to reply with somewhat coded language, to avoid tripping any monitoring that may have been occurring. This made her surprisingly sad. It’d been a year since she had last spoken with Beatrice. Fervently, Ava had wished it had been under better circumstances. 

_Canterbury: But I’m not dead._

_Dark: I thought you were, once._

Ava wanted to throw up. Despite the academy’s attempts to rob new recruits of their humanity, Ava was shockingly empathetic. Thus, her mind almost automatically imagined what Beatrice must have gone through. It made her sick. It made her angry. If Ava hadn’t already been hellbent on rectifying the wrong, she would be now.

_Canterbury: I’m sorry._

_Dark: Not your fault._

_Canterbury: Still._

_Dark: Still nothing, A._

_Canterbury: Alright, alright. How can I find you?_

_Dark: The friends you mentioned in your note. I work for them now. So does C._

A sharp breath escaped Ava’s lips, a heavy sigh of relief. For months now, she’d been obsessed with two thoughts. Find the OCSF. Find Beatrice. She should have suspected that her fates would have been intertwined, a braided rope that led her to a singular location. Ava could have cried. Actually, she did.

_Canterbury: Quite the promotion._

_Dark: Indeed. It’s how I’ve been able to piece together parts of your journey._

_Canterbury: I can fill in the blanks if you want. In person._

_Dark: Please._

_Canterbury: You still haven’t answered my question._

_Dark: It’s hard to answer without knowing where you are. But don’t tell me._

_Canterbury: I’m at sea. The tides are against me, but the current is strong._

_Dark: Understood. Can you get to the stormy place?_

_Canterbury: Hold on please._

Ava jumped from her chair preternatural speed, threw open the door and ran down the corridor. A moment later, she was banging on Chanel’s door.

“Ava.” Chanel opened, surprisingly calm despite Ava’s manic energy. “What’s wrong?” 

“Nothing. I…” She took a deep breath and forced herself to speak in full sentences. “Message came through. Finally. How soon can we be in Cyclon?” 

“Mhmm…” Chanel closed her eyes for a moment and envisioned a map, and their route upon it. “Two weeks.”  
“Really?” Ava’s eyes grew wide, she expected a much bigger answer.

“Yes.” Chanel nodded. “I know you’ve been waiting a long time for this. We can move some _appointments_ around.” 

“Thank you!” Ava replied, already pelting back down the hall. 

_Canterbury: Are you still there?_

_Dark: Yes._

_Canterbury: Two weeks._

_Dark: The bridge between new and old. Meet me there. Midnight._

_Canterbury: I understand. Thank you._

_Dark: Thank you. For surviving._

\-----

_Fall 2190, Solis 4, OCSF Headquarters_

Beatrice pushed her chair back from her desk and put her head in her hands. And she wept. Her chest ached with her heaving tears, but Beatrice didn’t care. Ava was alive. Ava was safe. In two weeks time, they’d be together. Another round of happy sobs shook her body. If Beatrice had known what was coming, she might not have been so happy. 

After indulging in her emotions, Beatrice callously wiped her tears and headed towards the workshop. She needed to talk to Camila. 

“Cam?” Beatrice called. The workshop at headquarters was massive, with several machine bays and workbenches. Camila had projects spread out across every available surface, making it hard for anyone else to find what they were looking for. 

“Back here!” Camila called from one of the work bays. She was laying prone, working on the underside of a deployable turret. 

“Guess who I just spoke with.” Beatrice could barely contain the excitement in her voice. A rarity in itself.

“No way.” Camila pulled a piece from the turret before sitting up, eyes wide.

“Yes.” Beatrice felt tears stinging her eyes again. “We need to pick her up in two weeks. On Cyclon.”

“Why Cyclon?” 

“I picked it.” Beatrice took a deep breath. She knew they were far from out of the woods yet, but she couldn’t make her body believe it. “It’s remote. Poorly monitored. The weather makes surveillance even more difficult.”

“For the Council, perhaps.” Camila added with a devilish grin. “But I’ve been working on some new designs.” 

“Which can be used to our advantage, I’m sure… I’m not blind to the risks of this. We’ll need to be cautious. There is always a chance that whoever I talked to wasn’t actually Ava. Or was, but our correspondence was monitored.” 

“It’s good to see you back.”  
“What does that mean?” Beatrice gave her a curious look.

“Hmm…” Camila paused. “You haven’t been… How do I put this gently? _All there._ For awhile. Ever since… You know.” 

“Fair point.” Though she was tempted, Beatrice bit back a sharper response. Camila was right. 

“And I’m more than a little bit worried about Ava.” Camila stood. “We can take my newest project to Cyclon.” She began leading Beatrice across the workshop and into the docking bay. 

“Is it finished?” 

“It can be.” Camila answered rather cryptically as she stopped beside a small ship. “If I press pause on my other projects.” 

“I can help take care of the easier day to day work, if you need help.” Beatrice wasn’t a technological wizard like Camila, but she was no slouch, either. 

“Probably. Thank you.” Camila laughed. “Taking this might be a little bit overcautious, but is there really such a thing?” 

“No. Not possible. Not with who we’re dealing with.” 

\-----

_Winter 2190, 14 Days Later, OCSF Docking Bay on Solis 4_

“Are you sure you don’t want or need backup?” Shannon asked, failing to disguise the worry in her voice.  
“I’m sure.” Beatrice replied stoically. 

“Even if we did, the Exodus isn’t a passenger ship. Three will already be a crowd.” Camila explained. 

“Oh, you’ve named it?” Mary raised an eyebrow with an amused expression.

“Well, yes.” Camila smiled, but only slightly. “I took it on a test flight yesterday, thus, it needed to be christened.” 

“Be careful.” Lilith whispered, not wanted to bother with small talk for a moment longer. “Please.” Camila pulled her into a hug.

“I promise.” 

“We’ll have someone monitoring the comms from _the Exodus_ at all times, okay?” Shannon reminded them. “Call in if you need anything.” 

“We will.” Beatrice nodded. “Cam, ready to go?” 

“I’m ready.” 

“Good luck.” Mary breathed as her two teammates climbed aboard Camila’s experimental craft. Her two close _friends._

“Alright, Bea.” Camila addressed her once they were alone. “Take the co-pilot’s seat, okay?” 

“This is the most stripped down ship I’ve ever seen.” Beatrice mumbled, looking around. There wasn’t an ounce of unnecessary material to be seen. No lockers, no storage, not even a map hung on the wall. Nothing. 

“The lighter the ship, the faster it goes.” Camila replied as she strapped herself into the pilot’s seat. Beatrice quickly followed suit. 

Pressing a series of buttons across the dash, Camila called in to the flight desk in the docking bay. It was more a formality than anything, but Camila didn’t want to break protocol. On the rarity that there was a supply ship coming in, she didn’t want to risk a collision. 

“OCSF - EX 1 requesting permission for take off.” 

“Permission granted.” It was Lilith’s voice on the other end. “Good luck.” 

“Thank you.” Beatrice replied, a moment before the skin was nearly ripped from her face. 

Camila slammed on the accelerator, blasting the ship from its dock with ferocious speed. It took a few minutes before the gyroscopic regulator corrected the severe g-forces that pressed them into the chairs. 

“A little warning next time.” Beatrice gasped once she had regained the power of speech.

“Sorry.” Camila grinned. She didn’t seem sorry at all.

Beatrice took a moment to survey the ship's controls and various readouts. “There’s no autopilot on this vessel.” She observed quietly.

“No.” Camila nodded. “Very astute. Autopilot modules are heavy, when you consider everything that goes into them. Usually thirty kilos or more. So it had to go.” 

“We’re flying manually the entire way?” 

It was a _long_ way between Solis 4 and Cyclon. The Crusader, which used to be the OCFS’s fastest ship, could make the journey in a full day. Smaller ships, like messenger vessels and such, could do it slightly faster, in about eighteen hours. 

“Yes.” 

“Cam -”

“Look at the speedometer.” Camila interrupted without taking her eyes from the window before her. 

“That’s…” Beatrice shook her head. Maybe the g-forces had concussed her. “That’s impossible. Or, you’ve just built the fastest ship in the galaxy.” By Beatrice’s calculations, which were rarely wrong, it would be only a six hour journey.

“No, you’re right.” Camila was nothing if not completely humble. 

“You could be making a lot more money if you sought a contract with a defense firm.” Beatrice told her quietly.

“This isn’t about money.” Camila shook her head. “And don’t say that like you couldn’t be doing the same. It’s about helping people.” 

“I know, I know.” Beatrice sighed. “It just seems like a waste sometimes. Our team, I mean. It doesn’t seem like much has changed.” For several minutes, Camila was quiet.

“It’s funny.” 

“How?” 

“After the incident on Solis 6, I said almost the exact same thing to Lilith.” Admitted Camila. 

“Really?” Beatrice was rather surprised by that. She’d always thought of Camila as a beacon of hope, forever the optimist. 

“It just seemed so… _Cruel._ I’m sure you know more than anyone how awful that day was.” Camila took a deep breath. “With all our resources and growing influence, we were powerless to stop it.”

“I know.” Beatrice felt ill from the memory.

“But Lilith was still hopeful, almost shockingly so, especially if you know her. I told her that it felt like we were going up against an unstoppable enemy. But she said that Ava’s existence proves the impact that one person can have.” 

“I miss her so much.” Beatrice breathed, powerless to the tears welling up in her eyes. 

“Me too.” Camila whispered. “Hopefully tonight’s the end of it.”

“Hopefully, though you insisted on taking this evasive ship which doesn’t exactly fill me with confidence that this will be an easy extraction.” 

“Rarely is anything easy. I don’t want a repeat of what happened last time. I felt helpless.”

“I understand.” Beatrice muttered. And she did. 

“Besides, it’s not just fast.” Camila tried to smile but it was false. “It’s almost invisible.” 

“What do you mean, almost?” 

“Well, traditional shielding tech is heavy, as you know. Which is antithetical to this entire project.” Camila began and Beatrice nodded, so she continued. “But what if there was a lighter way to fool most detection tools?” 

“Do you actually want me to guess?” Beatrice asked while taking her eyes from the window to cast a curious glance at Camila.

“You’re a genius, Bea. I bet you can figure it out.” 

“Hmm…” Beatrice considered the problem. Most vessels had a few methods for detecting ships. Laser detection was most common, obviously, but there was also heat detection. Unsurprisingly, in the vacuum of space, ships show up quite hot. 

“You must have devised a way to fool the lasers.” Beatrice concluded. “How, I’m not sure.” 

“Composite polymers.” Camila replied. “I’ve been experimenting with them for a while but never on this large a scale. On a normal, metallic ship, a detection laser is bounced back towards the sender. On the Exodus, the ray is absorbed. It fools most sensors, maybe not the most advanced ones.”

“What about the heat?” 

“The second layer of composite is mirrored. Heat is reflected back inwards.” Upon seeing Beatrice’s look of horror, Camila hurried the rest of her clarification. “This ship is more efficient than most, plus we can vent the heat, as long as we are out of any enemy detection ranges. The mirror doubles as a way to obscure the ship, should someone be looking directly through the window and not at their readouts.” 

“You’re a smart woman.” Beatrice whispered in awe. 

“Hopefully that’s enough to get your girl back. I’ve pulled one of the OCFS satellites closer to Cyclon, to watch the meeting site. Just in case.” 

“Thank you, I…” Beatrice paused. “She’s not _my_ girl.” 

“Whatever you say.” Camila’s grin was about as wide as it could be.

“She’s not!” Beatrice repeated, failing to convince even herself. 

\-----

_Winter 2190, One of Many Abandoned Settlements on Cyclon_

Ava stood at the door of the ship for a moment. “Thank you both. Seriously. I would have died if it weren’t for you two. And I’m not being hyperbolic when I say that. You helped remind me that there is still good in this world, that not everyone is evil.” 

“We’ll be around, Ava.” Zori whispered, wiping a stray tear from her eyes. “This isn’t the end. Alright?” 

“Well, it might be.” Ava shrugged beneath her jacket. It was newly winter now, but Cyclon was cold almost all the time. “I could be walking into a trap.” 

“Should we wait? Just in case? We’ve got a few guns stowed in the hold.” Chanel seemed apprehensive, moreso with how cavalier Ava was about this. That, and also that she didn’t want to lose another friend.

“No.” Ava shook her head. “No offense, but you’d be no match for whatever the Council pulled out, if this was a trap. But I’m _sure_ it was Beatrice I talked to. Don’t ask me how, I just know.” 

“Please be safe. Remember our access keys, okay?” Zori gave Ava a hug, followed closely by Chanel. 

“Good luck.” Chanel added with a sad smile. 

“Thank you.” Ava replied hoarsely, before leaving. She gave her new friends a quick wave before the door closed. Standing silently in the windy field, she watched the ship fly upwards, slowly, before shielding. Then, it faded from view, only a hazy residual heat among the stars. Ava allowed herself a few tears, before turning towards the bridge in the distance. 

Beatrice’s meeting place. The bridge between the new and the old. On one side of the bridge, an ancient forest, dated back to before humans even existed. On the other, an abandoned settlement that was supposed to be the jewel of Cyclon and the most advanced city ever built. Obviously mother nature had other plans. 

Ava walked slowly through the ruins. Because, for the first time in her life, she was early. Snow swirled through the air, collecting against crumbling walls and homes. She ran a hand through it, savouring the feeling. Despite the icy breeze that burned her eyes and reddened her cheeks, Ava felt alive. And excited. It’d been more than a year since she’d last seen Beatrice. And that was far too long. Ava’s heart pounded. Tonight felt like it existed on the brink, with it’s events destined to be defined in terms of ‘before’ and ‘after.’ Her intuition was right, but in the worst way. 

Eventually, ten minutes before midnight, Ava stood alone on the bridge. Her breath hung heavy and icy in the air, catching in the light. Only a few of the bridge’s lights still worked, though they seemed to be barely hanging on. Below her was a river, inky black in the night. It wasn’t moving particularly fast, but it had enough power to avoid freezing. The scene was calm. At least, until it wasn’t. 

“Help!” A female voice, not Beatrice’s, echoed through the icy air. Ava whipped around, unable to locate the source. “Please! Help!” It came again, closer this time. She looked down, horrified to see a pale body struggling to swim against the current. The water must be freezing, Ava thought, and the woman probably had only minutes left. 

Time slowed down, in Ava’s perception, as she stripped out of her jacket. She took off her backpack and unslung the rifle from her back. They would only weigh her down. A second later, Ava dove over the railing and into freefall, before hitting the frigid water some twenty feet below. All of this was done without barely a thought, just a split second decision made with limited information.

Thought or not, that didn’t change the water temperature. Ava gasped when she resurfaced, it felt like she was being stabbed with a thousand needles at once. Part of her brain, the well-trained soldier’s brain told her that she only had minutes until she went into shock. Ignoring that, she swam after the woman with heavy, but strong, strokes. 

“Hate… Swimming…Hate… Water...” Ava gasped as she continued on. The current was giving her an advantage and she was closing ground between herself and the woman. As she finally grew close enough to pull her ashore, Ava made a discovery. Sparks in the water. Ava reached out before stopping. It was a robot. She’d been tricked. 

“Fuck!” With panic seizing through her veins, Ava attempted to swim away from the robot woman. Instead, a massive shockwave blew through the water and Ava had only been a few feet from its epicenter. The resulting wave carried her to shore, crashing her onto the rocky banks. The world dissolved around her and Ava barely felt the cold, only a sick, sinking feeling.

\-----

_Winter 2190, Abandoned Settlement, Cyclon_

Beatrice pulled her hood up. It was freezing. With a gloved hand, she activated her earpiece. 

“Camila, can you hear me?” 

“Yes. And I can see you on my video feed. I scanned the skies for Council ships, but didn’t see anything.” Camila reported from inside the Exodus. 

“Glad to hear it.” Beatrice murmured. 

She continued onward, toward the bridge. Between her and the landmark was still half a klick or so, since she and Camila agreed it would have been dangerous to land right next to it. Thoughts of Ava would just have to keep her warm until then. And _God,_ did she have many. Since their contact, she knew that the woman on the other end was Ava. Between the chosen handle and the way she wrote, Beatrice knew it. 

_Canterbury._ Ava was one of few who liked books from the old world. Beatrice was another one of those few. Once their unlikely friendship was forged, they spent more than one late night discussing literature, wondering what the world was truly like centuries ago. Ava had always been curious about that, though to be fair, Ava was curious about a lot. 

As Beatrice drew closer to her destination, Camila interrupted her warm thoughts. “Beatrice.” Never a good sign. Camila rarely used her full name. “Something’s wrong. Turn around.” 

“What?” Beatrice froze. She couldn’t just turn around. Not if there was even a chance that Ava could be here. And if she had to shoot a Council officer, then so be it. 

“There’s a coat, a rifle, and a backpack on the bridge. Nothing else. No sign of Ava.” Camila reported.

“That doesn’t make sense.” Beatrice crept closer, until she was at the edge of the treeline. But Camila had been right. There were a few belongings, no sign of life in sight. Ava or otherwise. 

“Hold on. I’m rewinding the satellite footage.” Through the earpiece, Beatrice could hear Camila manipulating the console controls. “Oh, no.” 

“Camila, please. Explain.” Beatrice rasped, with an unpleasant but familiar feeling rising in her chest. 

“You need to move. Now. We have maybe minutes before you’re discovered.” 

“But, Ava is -”

“Now, Beatrice!” Camila shouted through the earpiece, making Beatrice flinch. But she didn’t turn around, not right away. Instead, she abandoned her cover, running for the belongings on the bridge. 

“I can see you on the camera!” Camila yelled. “What are you doing?!” 

“They might…” Beatrice panted, saving her breath for the run back into cover. “Be Ava’s.”

“They are.” Camila sighed. “Alright. Grab them, but then _hurry._ I cannot emphasise that enough.” 

Beatrice pelted through the forest like her life depended on it. Which it did. Though they were currently too far away to notice her, an elite CAS team was making their way towards the bridge. With their new cam-Atmos suits, Beatrice wouldn’t be able to see them until it was too late for her. Thankfully, Camila had an eye on the situation. 

As Beatrice approached the ship, the door slid open, closing the moment she was within the compact atrium. “In your seat! Now!” Camila barked, and Beatrice obliged, breathless and panicked. And devastated. Again. Frantically, Camila punched a series of commands into the interface, rocketing the ship skyward. Though Beatrice was prepared for it this time, the feeling was still jarring. Not as jarring at losing Ava. Again. 

Once they were at a safe distance, with security measures active, Camila pulled up the satellite footage on a small screen. Beatrice watched intently, wordless. Ava had been there. Truly. The video quality was tremendous, Beatrice could zoom in on her face, which was thinner than she remembered. More scarred, too. But unmistakably Ava. 

There was something in the water. Beatrice only looked because the Ava on screen had been startled by it. “No.” Beatrice whispered, barely realising that she had been speaking aloud. It was a trap, that much was clear. But in the dim light, with the realistic audio, Ava wouldn’t have known that. She would have been expecting an armed team, a hit squad, but not this. It was evil and it played on her humanity. 

The footage panned as Ava swam down the river. Beatrice shuddered. Ava didn’t like water and it must have been freezing. Trap or not, it was a noble pursuit. Somewhere in her rescue attempt, Ava must have come to the same conclusion, because she frantically tried to distance herself from the humanoid robot. Not soon enough. The blast blew Ava to shore, though the landing looked severe. Splotchy dark spots soaked through Ava’s clothes as she laid motionless on the rocks and Beatrice’s heart sank.

\-----

_Winter 2190, Banks of the Cyclon River, Cyclon_

Ava was alive, or at least she thought. Pain and cold seemed to take turns battering her nervous system. Her thoughts moved slowly, sluggish, but something stuck with her. A single sentence. _They want me alive._ She wasn’t even sure how she knew. Vaguely, she became aware of movement around her and cracked open her eyes. Painful. By her head, there was a pair of fine, crafted shoes. She looked up. The face of opulence. 

“Hello again, Miss Silva.” 

“Hello, Councilman.” Ava whispered, her voice shaking as she shivered, cold and wet. She was dying. 

“Take her in.” He ordered one of the guards surrounding him. “We don’t want her to die out here.” That was the last thing Ava heard before the darkness claimed her again. 

\-----

_Winter 2190, Aboard the Exodus_

“They took her alive.” Beatrice muttered, sliding the display back into the console. “She was there. And we lost here again.” Her voice cracked and tears slid down her cheeks. She couldn’t help it, Beatrice felt like a failure. She had failed Ava. 

“I know.” Camila looked equally ashen. “They were coming for you, too. It wasn’t just Ava they wanted.” 

“Oh.” Beatrice knew she should feel something, given the implications, but she only felt numb. “Where will they take her?” 

“I don’t know.” Camila admitted with a soft sob. “But maybe I know someone who does. Can you drive for a moment?” 

“Yes.” Beatrice answered, wrapping her hands around the secondary set of controls. 

Camila was a better pilot than Beatrice. Actually, Camila was a better pilot than most. But Beatrice was certainly respectable and more than capable of flying in a straight line in open space. Even in the fastest vessel in existence. Even while completely emotionally distraught. As Beatrice drove, Camila punched in the access key for the OCSF comms room.

“Please tell me you have good news.” Shannon’s voice echoed through the cockpit a moment later. 

“I wish I could.” Camila mumbled. “Is Lilith awake? I need to speak to her. It’s urgent.” 

“Hold on, I’ll go find her.” Shannon replied, before the line went silent. After several agonising minutes, a different voice sounded through the console.

“Cam? Are you okay?” The concern in Lilith’s voice was nearly palpable.

“No. But that’s not important right now. What do you know about the Council’s prisons?” 

“Oh, no.” Lilith sighed. Camila’s question had put a myriad of bad ideas into Lilith’s mind. “They took her, didn’t they?”

“Yes.” Beatrice choked. A single syllable was all she could manage right now. 

“She wouldn’t go to regular prison. Not after everything. Ava’s ‘crimes’ extend beyond the regular. She has embarrassed the Council. A dozen times over. Between that and her rising fame among colonists, they will want her to disappear. There’s a secure black site. I don’t know where.” 

“Can you find out?” Camila asked, once again thankful for Lilith’s expertise. 

“Yes, I think. Maybe not right away.” Lilith was clearly weighing the options in her head. “These aren’t the types of places that are easy to break into. We’re talking chipped security, undisclosed location… The works.” 

“We can’t just leave Ava there.” Beatrice bit, though she was only angry at herself. She also had a suspicion that Lilith was softening this description to save Beatrice some anguish. A bit of a lost cause, at this point. 

“I’m not suggesting that.” Lilith replied, surprisingly gentle, all things considered. “But Beatrice, this is not like normal prison. Most people start going insane after only a week. We’ll need quite a bit more time than that.” 

“Ava’s not most people.” Beatrice told her. 

“I hope you’re right. I’ll start making arrangements.” Lilith paused. “I think I might have a man on the inside.” Finally, a spark of hope.

\-----

_????, ????, ????_

Ava took a breath. Then another one. Then a third. She was still alive. Somehow. Slowly, she opened her eyes. The room was stark white and bare, save for the bed and a small bathroom. Ava raised herself into a seated position, expecting more pain than she felt. With cautious movements, she lifted her odd, gray shirt. There was bruising and scarring along her torso, but it was faint. Faded. Old. How long had she been here? And where was here? 

“Miss Silva.” One of the walls in her room shifted away, replaced with a thick set of bars. Behind them, a sharp-looking man stood in the hallway. He had the same temperament as a snake. “Glad to see you’ve finally rejoined the land of the living. Happy New Year, by the way.” 

“New Year?” Ava whispered, more of a faint rasp than anything. She’d already been here for a month? 

“That’s right.” He smoothed his greying hair, a confident gesture more than anything else. “A hefty amount of work and money went into keeping you alive, so I’d appreciate it if you made it worth our while.” 

“Don’t hold your breath.” Ava was still stubborn.

“Oh, this is going to be fun. Our session is this afternoon, I can’t wait to see you.” He told her, before pressing the button that slid her wall back into place. 

“Typical. Don’t even give me a chance to reply.” Ava muttered to herself. No doubt she was under surveillance. Panic was quickly rising in her chest, but she didn’t want to give her captors the satisfaction of crying. Instead, she leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. Trying to force a few deep breaths in, Ava thought. 

Had Beatrice been at the bridge? Ava knew there were more pressing matters, but she couldn’t help but think of Beatrice. Hopefully she was safe. Or at least, not here. Over the years, Ava had heard rumours about places like this, places where the Council made their worst problems disappear. Not legal, strictly speaking, but her world seemed to exist outside of the rules that governed others. 

Was all this worth it? Ava couldn’t help but ask herself. It was not an unlikely outcome that she would die here, after providing the Council with the information they wanted. Either that, or she would go insane. The answer was still yes. How many lives had she saved with her own? At least one. But why go to all the trouble to keep her alive? Ava’s thoughts raced. She really thought she was going to die that night on Cyclon. It had felt like she was dying. 

_Maybe I am dead._ Ava thought to herself. _And this is hell._ She shuddered slightly at the thought. _Don’t be ridiculous._ A second voice in her head argued with the first. _Oh god, I’m already going crazy._ She pressed her thumbs into her closed eyes, forcing her mind to be silent. Escape from here would be nearly impossible, if not beyond her abilities, but she had to try, right? 

The wall slid away again, but a much younger man stood behind the bars. “Your lunch.” He said, expressionless. “Stand against the wall.” Ava rose and obliged. This wasn’t her first time in prison, she knew the rules. Once she was pressed against the cold, white stone, he entered the room, leaving a tray on the edge of the bed. 

“Thank you.” Ava whispered as he was leaving. 

“Leave me a sign to let me know you’re ready.” He breathed, so quietly that Ava wondered if she had imagined it. His mouth had barely moved, but his eyes darted up to the tiny lens in the corner of the room. Ava didn’t visibly react. Just in case. Instead, she sat down next to the tray and began to eat. 

It felt alien to her, eating again. If what the snake-man said was true though, it had been a month. Just like last time, prison food was nothing to call home about. But she was beyond hungry, so she ate anyway. After a few bites of mashed potato, her teeth encountered something hard. Thinking quickly, Ava ran into the bathroom, angling herself strategically to avoid the camera. Rather dramatically, she pretended to throw up, spitting the device into her hand. A starter chip. For a ship. 

Suddenly, the guard’s words made more sense. With exaggerated movements, Ava rose and returned to her food, but not before hiding the chip inside her sock. A sign. She needed a sign. While it pained her to leave any bit of food untouched, Ava left a few spoonfuls of mashed potato on her tray, and shaped them into a rather phallic symbol. Not subtle, sure, but if anyone else encountered the guard, they would just assume Ava was being a problematic prisoner. It was safer for him that way. 

He returned not too long after, raising an eyebrow at the sign. “I know.” Ava shrugged. “I’m an artist.” 

“I see.” He nodded and the corner of his mouth turned up into the tiniest smile. “Maybe _tomorrow_ you’ll behave better at lunch time.” 

“Maybe.” Ava winked, to show she understood. The guard departed without another word. 

Unfortunately, the afternoon meant that it was time for snake-man. Internally, Ava chastised herself for calling him that. She needed to be more mature, more in control of her thoughts, lest she wanted to go crazy in here. Two burly guards had dragged her from her room, rather violently, if the new bruises could attest to anything. She hadn’t even been resisting. Well, not that much anyhow. 

After being escorted down white, featureless hallway after white, featureless hallway, Ava was brought into an office. Snake-man’s office. 

“Leave us.” Snake-man instructed once the guards had secured Ava’s hands to the table and her feet to the chair. And suddenly, Ava was alone with snake-man.

“Doesn’t this seem a little much?” Ava asked, gesturing with the few inches of play in the chains on her wrists. “I’m not that intimidating.” 

“No, you’re not.”

“Do you have a name? Or should I just keep calling you snake-man?” Ava inquired, raising an eyebrow.

“One day of consciousness and you’re already resorting to childish name calling? Maybe it will be easier to break you than I thought.” 

“Maybe.” Ava shrugged. She wanted him to underestimate her. It would give her an edge. 

“My name is Vincent.” 

“Gross.” Ava retorted. If Vincent was upset, he didn’t show it. 

“You’ve been busy since your termination. You’ve made a lot of enemies.” Vincent pretended to clean the imaginary dirt from his perfectly manicured nails. 

“You know me. Can’t sit still.” 

“They told me you were immature. I didn’t realise it would be this bad.” 

“Surprise.” 

“Listen. This can be a lucrative agreement for you. You’ve already turned the Councilman’s deal down once, the last time you were in prison. I’m not sure that you’re stupid enough to do it again.” Vincent appeared calm, but Ava saw the slightest tremor in his hands. She was making him nervous. 

“The Councilman…” Ava repeated. He’d been there on Cyclon. He must really hate her, to be so close to the action. It was rare that Councilmen left the Anguis, let alone to tramp around on Cyclon. “Is he here?” 

“Yes. Someone has to be on-site to broker an agreement with you. Plus he has a personal interest. He wants to watch you break.” 

“That’s comforting.” Ava leaned back as far as her restraints would allow. “I don’t intend on breaking.” 

“Really?” Vincent looked at her intently, as if he could visually find a weak point. Then again, maybe he could. “You’re already worried you’re going insane and you can barely hold down your food. Not exactly a hardened criminal.” 

“Maybe, maybe not.” Ava whispered, but her voice shook. Not good. 

“I know that you know about the OCSF. Arrangements for you here can get a lot better, or a lot worse. The quality of the information you give me will determine your accommodations from here on out.” Vincent acted as if she had a choice. She didn’t. Not really. 

“I don’t know much. You’re barking up the wrong tree.”

“Am I?” 

“Would I lie?” Ava couldn’t help but laugh. To her, it was hilarious. In retrospect, she probably seemed unhinged. Maybe she was. 

“You really expect me, and the Council, to believe that you survived for over a year without help?” 

“Sure, why not. Let’s go with that.” Ava looked around, looking for something to help her. But alas, she was stuck in another plain, white room. Already her brain was longing for colour, aching for it. 

“Don’t be an idiot. You have no idea how much worse your life here can get.” Vincent narrowed his eyes. 

“Is this even legal?” Ava wondered. “I’m pretty sure you’re not allowed to have to do this. It’s in the…” She paused. “By-laws?” Vaguely, she remembered reading about prisoner rights somewhere, when she’d been in the academy, but her mind was failing her. 

“Do you know what else isn’t legal?” Vincent asked with an evil smile, while pulling a thin black case from the desk drawer. “This.” 

“Wow. A black box. I’m quaking.” 

“You’re digging your own grave.” He opened the lid, revealing a thin vial and a needle.

“I’m actually already vaccinated, thanks.” 

“Make as many jokes as you want.” Vincent screwed the vial onto the needle, flicking it twice. The liquid inside was a sickly purple. He stood, not wanting to play any more games with the frustrating prisoner that sat before her. Betraying her full range of fear, Ava tried to avoid the needle, but being bound as she was, it was inescapable. She felt the effect of the drug almost at once, dampening her reaction time, blunting her inhibitions. 

“Do you feel like talking now?” 

“This is…” Ava’s head felt thick. “Definitely illegal.”

“Yes. Truth serums have been outlawed for decades since most courts thought they were harmful for prisoners. You’ve broken a lot of laws, Ava. I hope you don’t mind if we break a few in return.” Vincent steepled his fingers, observing his subject like a sick scientist.

“Not sure it… Works like that.” Ava had enough mental fortitude to know that the longer she kept him talking, the longer she would have to fight the effects of the serum. Classic delay tactic.

“I’m not sure you’re really in a position to decide.” He paused, lifting Ava’s head so their eyes could meet. She couldn’t seem to hold it up on her own. “Tell me about the OCFS.” 

“What do you want to know?” 

“So much more cooperative. I like that.” He smiled, but it was the smile of a predator. “Where is their headquarters?” 

“I don’t know.” Ava gritted her teeth. She wanted it to appear as though she were fighting the effects of the drug. In reality, she really didn’t know, and the serum made telling the truth easy. 

“Interesting…” Vincent mused. “Tell me again, where is the OCSF headquarters.” 

“Up…” Ava hesitated, straining against the handcuffs until they bit into her wrists, dotting the white table with little spots of blood. Oh, colour. “Your ass.” 

“Where is it?” Vincent was losing his composure and he gripped the collar of Ava’s shirt, forcing her closer to him. 

“I… Don’t… Know…” Ava snarled, using all the pent-up anger from months of suffering to wage an invisible war in her mind. 

“Fucker.” He released his grip and pushed Ava into her chair. She slumped over, exhausted. Vincent pressed a button beneath the desk, which summoned the guards back into the room. Ava was floating in and out of consciousness, but could hear their conversation. “Take her back to her cell. No dinner.” 

“Yes sir… I’ve never seen anyone fight the serum like that.” One of the guards mumbled as he removed Ava’s restraints. If only she had more strength, she’d fight them all right now. 

“Perhaps not.” Vincent sounded frustrated. “But we’ll try again tomorrow.” 

“Very well, sir.” The other guard said, as he lifted Ava over his shoulder. She shuddered slightly before fully passing out. How many more days of this could she take? 

Ava woke up much later, back in her oppressively white cell. Was it night time? There was no way to tell, not really. It was only when the kind guard returned that she realised it had been an entire day. This place was maddening. 

“Lunch.” He whispered, right after the wall slid away. “To the wall.” 

“Of course.” Ava obliged, though she kept an eye on the guard. Something was up. 

He didn’t set the food on the edge of the bed, but instead, crept much closer to Ava. After a brief pause, he spit out a series of murmured instructions, speaking quickly. 

“Hit me when I’m about to leave. Make it look convincing. There’s an ion blade in my left pocket. Take it just in case. Take my keycard too. Down the hall, take a left, then another left. Through the door marked H1. That’s the hangar.” 

Before Ava could reply, he moved to leave, so Ava hit him. As instructed. He fell to the ground, in feigned unconsciousness, but Ava knew the hit had been weak. She was weak.

“Thank you.” Ava breathed, while pulling the ID from one pocket and the weapon from the other. “You’ve saved my life today.” 

“Make them pay.” He mouthed.

With as much confidence as she could manage, Ava rose and slipped out into the hallway. Then the power went out.

“Maybe there _is_ a _God._ ” Ava muttered as she sprinted down the blank halls, following the guard’s instructions. Only then did it occur to her that all this could be a trap. “Oh well. We’re in too deep now.” 

When Ava found her way to the H1 door, it still responded to the keycard despite the power outage. Unfortunately, there was a guard waiting on the other side. 

“You!” He shouted, lifting the laser pistol from his hip and flipping the safety off. Ava knew she had only seconds before the weapon was pointing at her. Diving to the ground, she slid across the pavement, slicing the tendons in the back of his ankle with the ion blade. A painful slice. 

Immediately, the guard fell to the ground, his assailant all but forgotten. Ava almost felt bad, he would likely never walk again, but he had just tried to kill her. So instead, she pulled the starter chip from her sock and pressed her thumb to it. Down the row of small transport vessels, one of them flashed in recognition. She ran towards it, frantically, reaching the ship just as several guards burst through the hanger door. 

Ava was not a natural born pilot. Not that she was terrible, but these were extenuating circumstances. Plasma blasts flashed past the ship as she was starting it, but Ava smashed a fist into the shielding button, buying herself a moment of protection. Carefully, she pulled the ship from its spot, but not carefully enough, since she got it jammed between a pillar and another vessel. 

“You know what? Never look a gift horse in the mouth.” Ava almost smiled, before pressing a button and launching a missile into the crowd of guards. It completely decimated the group, buying Ava more than enough time to get the ship into the air. Which she did, although her flight instructor definitely wouldn’t have been pleased with the performance. 

Once she was aloft and hovering above the facility, Ava couldn’t help but shout. A scream of joy. A control on the ship’s console caught her attention. An intercom button, into the facility. In her exhausted, exuberant ecstasy, Ava couldn’t help but push the button, projecting her voice into the prison. Of course, there was another group listening in too. 

“Hi, evil black site prison. This is Ava Silva speaking. Once again, you have failed to kill or capture a young woman who is only five two. Congrats, that’s embarrassing. Also, Vincent, if you’re listening. I promise I’ll find you and kill you personally. Councilman, you’re next. Thanks for -” 

“Ava.” A voice emanated from the console, interrupting Ava’s speech. “There’s forty seven seconds before the power comes back on in that facility and one of those massive cannons is pointed at you. I strongly suggest that you’re out of range by then. Due north, and seventeen degrees upward, if you could.” 

“Alright mystery voice.” Ava mumbled, feeling… Well, an odd mix of emotions. Happy, sad, scared, intimidated, hungry, anxious, exhausted… Plus, the weird hangover feeling from after a huge spike in adrenaline. 

Still, she followed the instructions, feeling slightly embarrassed about her speech. But, at the same time, she wanted Vincent to be scared. The Councilman too. All the Councilmen, actually. She wanted them to be constantly looking over their shoulders, unable to enjoy their final days. After all the suffering they’d caused, that was still a kindness. 

A black ship was waiting, barely visible in the inky dark of space. Ava pulled up beside it, as close as she could, before quickly donning the vessel’s space suit. It was only a short jump, so she ignored the tether. With shaky hands, she opened the hatch of her ship, happy to see the first airlock door open. Wild, and not unlike the day she committed her first crime, Ava jumped from the smaller vessel to the much larger one. 

Once safely inside, she manipulated the buttons, closing the outside airlock door and initialising the pressure equalisation process. This familiar movement, something she’d done a thousand times before, helped Ava calm down. To prepare for whatever unknown was waiting on the other side of the door. The light flashed green after a few seconds and it was safe for Ava to remove her space suit and helmet. Then, she took a deep breath, and opened the interior door, unsure of what to expect. 

“Beatrice.” Ava whispered, as familiar, strong arms wrapped around her in an instant. Which is good, because she would have sank to the ground without them.

“Ava.” Beatrice felt whole again, in that moment.


	13. Never Would Be Too Soon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ava and Beatrice talk. That's it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was supposed to be a shorter chapter but its 4.5k. this story has completely run away with me and i know i have other stuff to update but oh well - this is all i can think about right now

_Winter 2191, Aboard the Crusader_

“You should wear a tether for all jumps. You know this.” Beatrice chastised her in a whisper, while still holding Ava close. 

“You know me. I love a bit of danger.” Ava joked weakly. 

“I think you’ve had more than your fair share of it for a while.” Beatrice mumbled, before holding Ava at an arm’s length, examining her face closely. The face which, in honesty, Beatrice had been thinking about constantly for years. 

Before Ava could reply, a nearby explosion shook the ship. “No one panic!” Called a voice from the cockpit. “That was me. Figured it was better to destroy the evidence.” 

“A warning next time, Mary.” Another voice replied, much more controlled. 

“I’m terminating our hack of the facility before they get those cannons back online.” A third voice added - but this one, Ava recognised. 

“Camila’s here too?” Ava asked Beatrice, her eyes wide.

“Of course. It’s not like I could keep her away.” Beatrice smiled but there were tears in her eyes. She ran a thumb over Ava’s cheekbone, where a new scar crossed Ava’s skin. One of many. “The moment she pulls our comms back into position, I’m sure she’ll be sprinting in to say hello.” And, as usual, Beatrice was right. Only a few seconds later, Camila ran into the atrium.

“Ava!!” Camila hugged her tightly, excitedly. Meanwhile, the Crusader picked up speed, travelling quickly back to Solis 4. 

“I’m so happy to see you.” Ava whispered from within Camila’s embrace. “Thanks for still eating at the noodle stand, by the way.” At that, Camila only laughed, feeling as though a massive weight had been lifted from her shoulders. 

In the cockpit, Lilith and Shannon keyed in a few commands and turned on the ship’s autopilot. Then, they joined everyone in the atrium. 

“Ava.” Shannon addressed her once Camila had relinquished her grip. “I’m Shannon.” She extended a hand, perhaps overly formal given the circumstances. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

“Hi.” Ava shook her hand. “You’re the mystery computer voice who interrupted my speech.” 

“Not that it wasn’t a great speech, mind you.” Mary chimed in, before turning to Beatrice. “I can see why you like this one.” Both Beatrice and Ava blushed at that. “I’m Mary, by the way.” She added, shaking Ava’s hand politely. 

“Cool arm.” Ava observed. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the cybernetic limb, which with Camila’s improvements was an absolute beast of a weapon. 

“Thank you.” 

“And this is Lilith!” Camila pulled Lilith closer, dragging the taller woman behind her with surprising force. 

“Oh!” Ava grinned. “Your secret girlfriend.” 

“Wait, you knew?” Beatrice wondered, before anyone else could speak. 

“Of course.” Ava didn’t elaborate, but she took Lilith’s hand in her own. “It’s great to finally put a face to the name.” 

“Likewise.” Lilith mumbled, surprisingly flustered. “Except, I already knew what you looked like. You know, with all the wanted posters.” 

“Yeah, Beatrice has quite the collection.” Muttered Mary, earning a glare from Beatrice. The entire exchange made Ava smile. This crew felt like a family. 

“While there is a _ton_ to fill you in on…” Shannon began, clearly the leader of the group, “Some of us have jobs to be doing to ensure our safe journey back to headquarters.”

“Right, boss.” Mary winked and blew Shannon a kiss before retreating back to the cockpit.

“I know, I know.” Camila complained quietly. “But Ava, the moment I have time, I want to hear _everything._ Okay?” 

“Okay.” Ava couldn’t keep the grin off her face. “But you’ve got just as much to tell me. Actually more, I reckon.” 

“Probably.” Camila returned her smile before heading back into the cockpit. Lilith followed with only a nod. 

“I realise this is a lot to take in at once.” Shannon addressed Ava. “But welcome aboard the Crusader.” 

“Thank you.” Ava was so grateful and relieved, that the pain and weakness she felt went unnoticed. What didn’t go unnoticed, however, was Beatrice’s hand wrapped in her own. 

“And, welcome to the OCSF. I’m sure you can guess that we want to recruit you, but if you -”

“I’m in.” Ava interrupted. 

“Oh?” Shannon wasn’t terribly surprised, but the intensity behind Ava’s words was sharp.

“I’m sure there are a bunch of formalities, maybe an entrance exam, I don’t know…” Ava rambled slightly, she was a bit nervous and definitely overwhelmed. “But I’m in.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” Shannon smiled. Her brain was running through a dozen different ideas at once, a huge list of new possibilities. “I have to send word to headquarters. Beatrice, can you please take Ava to the medbay and remove the prison chip?”

“The _what?_ ” Ava choked. She didn’t remember getting chipped, though to be fair, she didn’t remember much of anything from her internment. 

“Actually a full exam, just in case.” Shannon added. “Let me know if there’s anything serious.” Thankfully, she didn’t say _let me know if Ava is batshit insane after being in prison._ But it was implied.

“Alright.” Beatrice nodded and Shannon left the room, leaving the two of them alone once more. 

“I have a _chip_?” Ava repeated, horrified with the concept. 

“You’d have to.” Beatrice explained quietly as she led Ava upstairs and down the narrow hall. “It’s why we couldn’t just blow the doors down ourselves. There is a field around the prison that neutralises organic material, unless they have a bypass chip.”

“Charming.” Ava muttered. A familiar anger resurfaced in her, but Beatrice’s presence quelled the flame almost immediately. 

“In here.” Beatrice pushed open the door to the small medbay, clearly meant for battle injuries. She patted one of the exam tables and Ava sat down without comment. While she’d been alone, Ava had thousands of imaginary conversations with Beatrice. But now, actually being with her again, she found herself barely able to form a coherent thought. 

“Were you there?” Ava finally asked, as Beatrice shined a light into one of Ava’s eyes, checking for signs of a head injury. 

“Where?” Beatrice stopped working for a moment, but it was difficult. She was, after everything, _nervous._

“At the bridge.” Ava clarified.

“I was.” Beatrice inhaled sharply. “Camila and I only barely escaped. But I saved your bag. I’m… I’m sorry I couldn’t save you too.” A fresh tear slid down Beatrice’s cheek and splashed on the tile below.

“You did.” Ava wore a sad smile. 

“I wish we could have been faster. There was a lot to organise. Breaking into a Council black site isn’t as simple as you might think.” 

“That’s okay. I only woke up yesterday.”

“What?” Beatrice met Ava’s eyes, finally, looking for an explanation.

“That’s what they told me, anyway.” Ava tried to shrug but it turned into more of a shudder. Beatrice rested a gentle hand on her knee. “It was weird there. What’s… What’s the date?” 

“It’s January 7th, 2191.”

“Hm… Five weeks.” Ava shook her head. Already, her time in prison felt like a bizarre nightmare that existed somewhere between a dream and reality. Maybe, she concluded, that was the point. “I missed Christmas and the New Year.” 

“Merry Christmas.” Beatrice smiled, slightly. Everything she learned about Ava’s experience was horrifying, but she couldn’t deny how happy it made her to hear Ava mention the holidays, as though that was the most important takeaway from all this. Despite everything, she was still _Ava_ , which dispelled several worries that Beatrice barely knew she was habouring. 

“Did you celebrate?” 

“No.” Beatrice gestured for Ava to turn around, which she did. “We were too busy planning.”

“Thank you again... Thank you doesn’t feel like enough.” Ava flinched as Beatrice applied pressure to the base of her neck, she could feel something alien pressing into one of her vertebrae. “That must be the chip, then.” 

“Yes.” Beatrice tried to keep her voice steady. “I’m going to cut it out now. You’ll feel a slight pinch, but I’m sure that’s better than having the Council track you halfway across the galaxy.” 

“Been there, done that.” 

“Ava…” Beatrice cautioned. She didn’t know what to make of Ava’s jokes or dismissiveness of her own experience. Maybe Ava was trying to soften it for Beatrice’s benefit? There had been a lot of that lately. 

“Sorry, sorry.” Ava whispered, just as Beatrice removed the chip and dropped it into a metal dish. 

“It’s alright… You can turn back around now.” 

“Hi.” Ava turned and smiled, genuinely, before picking the chip up. It was small and thin, close to the size of the nail on Ava’s pinky finger. With careful hands, Beatrice took the chip from Ava’s shaking fingers, before throwing it into the medical incinerator. The warm sound of plasma fire filled the air for a moment, then silence. 

Beatrice crossed the room to the intercom, calling up a message to Camila. “The chip’s dead, you can deactivate the signal jammer.” 

“Thanks, Bea.” Camila’s voice echoed a moment later. 

“I have a million questions.” Ava told Beatrice once she returned to where Ava was sitting. 

“I can imagine.” Beatrice took Ava’s pulse, slightly fast, but that was to be expected. “So do I.”

“Do you want to take turns?” It took all of Ava’s focus to concentrate on conversation with Beatrice’s proximity and occasional contact. 

“You first.” Beatrice replied, trying to stay professional when all she wanted to do was hug Ava a million times over. She still could barely believe that Ava was here, finally, _finally._

“How are you?” 

Whatever Beatrice had been expecting, it wasn’t that. After everything that Ava had been through, with all the presumed questions in her mind, she was asking about Beatrice before anything? It reminded her of their digital conversation, months ago, when Ava had asked, _are you safe?_

“Better. Now that you’re here.” It was honest, if not a bit understated. In truth, she felt like she could run a dozen marathons in a row without taking a breath, or swim through a sea of acid and emerge unscathed on the other side. Of course, saying that would be dramatic.

“Oh.” Ava’s cheeks grew slightly flushed under the weight of Beatrice’s words. “Okay. Um… Well, now it’s your turn.” 

But Beatrice didn’t answer right away, her eyes were caught on the small injection site on Ava’s arm. “Ava… What was injected here?” 

“Truth serum.” Ava whispered. “The purple kind.” She added, as if that changed anything or softened the blow at all.

“That’s… Illegal.” Beatrice, like Ava, seemed to find new reasons to hate the Council everyday. 

“My interrogator, snake-man… I mean Vincent, said that since I had broken a ton of laws, it was okay that he was breaking some too.” Ava looked down at her wrists, at the angry red cuts where her handcuffs had been. She’d been so excited to see colour that she had barely felt them slice into her exposed flesh.

“I’m not sure the law works like that.” Beatrice sanitised the site before cleaning the wounds on Ava’s wrists. “What did he ask?” 

“Where the OCSF headquarters is.” Ava replied. “Which I don’t know, but I made it _seem_ like I was fighting to lie. He did not like that.”

“It’s on Solis 4.” Beatrice told her in a small voice. Thinking of Ava’s time with this so-called snake-man/Vincent made Beatrice feel sick. 

“Are you… Are you _fucking_ kidding me?” 

“No? Why? I know we’re taught that it’s uninhabitable but -” 

“No, that’s not why. Sorry for swearing.” Ava took a deep breath. “Okay, right after my trial I was sent to Fallbrook on Terra 2, though I know that you know this.”

“I do.” Beatrice nodded, not wanting to say more than was necessary. 

“A hit squad came, sent by the Council.” Ava pointed to a u-shaped scar on her forehead. “Which is where I got this.” 

“I see.” Following Ava’s hand, Beatrice ran her own finger across the long-healed wound, wishing desperately that she had been there to help.

“I escaped, obviously, though this made me realise how much more serious everything was.” Ava shook her head. “I was naïve to think that the Council would just like me get away with everything. Doubly so after killing two officers.” 

“Lilith thinks that they sent them knowing that you would win, just so they could pin two more crimes to your file.” 

“Hmm… Oh. That might be true. They weren’t very competent for trained officers.” Ava mumbled in thought, though this only understated her own skill. 

“Ava, what does this have to do with Solis 4?” Beatrice wondered before Ava could continue, with obvious concern in her eyes.

“I’m getting there. Sorry.” Ava rubbed her face in exhaustion. “I’m not crazy, but I’m just… Well, it’s been absolutely insane and I woke up in prison yesterday with no recollection of the last five weeks of my life. I thought I was dying on Cyclon. No, that’s not right. I _was_ dying. But then, I woke up alive. How strange.” 

“Ava.” Beatrice gently took Ava’s hand in her own and held it tightly. “I know you’re not crazy. I knew from the moment I saw you. But you have to understand the precaution, most people don’t escape with their sanity intact, especially not after… Not after everything.” 

“I understand.” Ava hung her head for a moment. Even after the time apart, her feelings for Beatrice hadn’t softened. If anything, the opposite was true. 

“Please, go on.” 

“Okay, okay. Well, I knew that I had to be a lot more careful after that point. I stowed away on a crew ship bound for one of the wind farms on Cyclon.” 

“Why?”

“On a hunch. I knew that there was a good chance that in one of the abandoned settlements, there would be an interplanetary line still hooked up. And I was right. Even when I was still ten klicks away I could see the dim green light of the booth in the distance.” Ava closed her eyes as she remembered the scene. 

“How _Great Gatsby_ of you.” Beatrice couldn’t resist making a joke of her own. 

“It’s funny you should say that, I actually made a comment to myself about it.” Ava laughed. “There was a lot of talking to myself. Maybe I was crazy before I even went to prison… Anyway, I called up to the Anguis. Looking for you. The operator asked for my credentials, which obviously I didn’t have, but it didn’t matter. She told me that your position had been recently vacated.” 

“Yes, I resigned. So did Camila.” 

“Why?” 

“Lilith managed to get us your _actual_ arrest files. Imagine my lack of surprise when I found out that you were arrested for doing what the Council should be doing.” Beatrice vividly remembered the day she went through all the information, from Ava’s room rather than her own. 

“Surprise.” Ava breathed weakly. “Sorry I didn’t tell you before. I considered it a dozen times, but I didn’t want you to be implicated.”

“I understand. The Council collected several testaments to your character to help prove your guilt, though they were quite stilted. It was a scathing letter from our former CO that was the final nail in your coffin.” 

“That’s disappointing.” Ava didn’t seem shocked.

“After that, I couldn’t work for her or CAS anymore. Camila and I were recruited only a few days later and that’s where we have been ever since.” Beatrice concluded. Ultimately, it was good. The OCSF not only reunited her with Ava, but allowed Beatrice to do the work that she had wanted to do in CAS.

“Do you like it?” Ava’s question was simple.

“Yes.” 

“I’m really happy to hear that.” 

“I think you’ll like it too.” Beatrice continued her exam, but asked another question. “What happened next? After you called up to the Anguis.” 

“Well, the Council must have traced the call, because another squad came down that day. I didn’t hear the ship land over the incessant sound of the wind. One of the officers saw me before I saw him, but I managed to get the jump on him first. I stole his rifle and made a run for it. Taking out the entire squad would have been a death sentence. Or, another one.” 

“You made a run for _what_ exactly? There isn’t much out there.” 

“No kidding.” Ava winced slightly as Beatrice pressed a hand into her ribcage. Some wounds were still a bit tender. 

“Sorry.” Beatrice pulled a multi-scanner from the drawer.

“Oh, it’s okay.” For a moment, Ava was distracted from her recollections, but continued after a minute’s pause. 

“I wandered for a while. Ten days, maybe? I found a shipwreck, which became a shelter of sorts. Judging by the tech and the skeletons inside, it was probably a few decades old. I buried the skeletons in the clearing.” Ava wasn’t sure why she added that last sentence, but Beatrice only made a quiet noise of affirmation so Ava continued. 

“The escape pod was still intact, somewhat. I’m not Camila, not even close, but I was able to repair it somewhat. It was one of those old units, with the preprogrammed destinations. This didn’t leave me a lot of options, but I couldn’t survive on Cyclon much longer, especially not without food.” 

“I’m sorry to interrupt, but…” Beatrice looked at Ava then back down at the scanner. “How many bones have you broken along the way?” The device had flagged so many irregularities that the entire screen glowed red.

“Umm…” Ava counted on her fingers, though she wasn’t entirely sure. “At least a dozen, probably.”

“Between that and the radiation it’s amazing you’re still functioning.” She crossed the room and withdrew a few bottles. “Here, take these.” Beatrice passed Ava a few capsules and a glass of water. “And, though this isn’t the first time I’ve told you this, rad-gel isn’t a substitute for actual medical care.” 

“I know, I know.” Ava nodded. “But that wasn’t really an option.” 

“I’m sorry.” Beatrice whispered. “But please, continue your story. I’d be lying if I told you I hadn’t laid awake at night wondering where you were.” 

“It was New Year’s.” Ava mumbled as Beatrice’s words echoed in her brain. “None of the choices on the escape pod were good. But guess what was on there?”

“What?” 

“Solis 4.” Ava’s statement was heavy to the both of them. Had she pressed that option, this whole nightmare could have been over a year early. “At the time, I thought, _Wow, what idiot programmed this, who wants to land on an uninhabitable planet?_ ” 

“That’s understandable, though.” 

“Perhaps, but it’s hard not to think of the what-ifs.” 

“Agreed.” Ava took a deep breath. She felt overwhelmed. “I ended up choosing Solis 6, I figured it was the safest of my choices given what I knew then.” 

“I know. Superion called us into her office and showed us the footage.” Beatrice winced at the memory.

“Who?” 

“Superion. She’s in charge of the OCSF. I’m sure you’ll meet her when we get back.” Beatrice explained. 

“Hmmm… Okay. So you know what happened then?” Ava felt sick every time she remembered what happened to Firebend. Which was constantly. 

“I know that you crash landed in a half-broken pod and were carried into town. I know that you were there for a few months before the missile hit. But… I thought it had killed you. I saw it fly by the ship and destroy the settlement.” 

“Oh, Beatrice…” If Ava felt sick before, she felt even worse now. She knew the pain of being that close, only to see something that horrifying. “I was lucky. I’d been patrolling the perimeter when the missile hit. Beyond a few injuries and the radiation sickness, I was alright.” Ava didn’t mention her emotional pain, but she didn’t need to. It was written clearly across her face. 

“How close were we that day?” Beatrice wondered aloud. “A few hundred metres? Just on the other side of the ruins?” 

“Probably.” Only then did Ava realise she was crying. “I didn’t see your ship, but I was overwhelmed with… Everything. You probably could have landed right on top of me and I wouldn’t have noticed… I’m sorry.” 

“Hey, hey.” Beatrice took Ava’s face in her hands. Gentle, always gentle. “It’s alright. You’re here now. Alive. That’s what matters.” 

“Promise?” Ava’s dark eyes were full of hope. Passion.

“I promise.” Beatrice sighed deeply, before placing a careful kiss on Ava’s forehead. “I’m done. Do you want to take a shower? I have some of your old clothes that you could put on, or an OCSF uniform.”

“You have some of my clothes?” 

“I…” Beatrice stuttered, all at once, she realised she would have to tell Ava about the journal she’d taken. “I have a few of your things. The Council never planned to return any of it, they seized everything as evidence. I tried to keep the stuff I thought you might want.”

“That was risky.” Ava mumbled, though she smiled too. “You could have gotten charged with a crime.” 

“Well, my best friend is a criminal.” Beatrice grinned while helping Ava from the table and leading her to the block of bedrooms. “So I guess it’s fitting.” 

“I didn’t realise you had developed such a sense of humour.” Ava joked as she followed Beatrice through the narrow corridor. 

“I’m in a good mood today.” Understatement of the year.

Beatrice opened the door to her room. Two things stood out to Ava immediately. First, the thick stack of wanted posters on her desk. Second, her two journals, both of which Ava had presumed lost forever. 

“Beatrice.” Ava’s voice sounded suddenly strangled.

“Yes?”

“Did you read these?” Ava picked up the newer one that she’d left on Cyclon.

“I… Um…” Beatrice rarely stuttered. Was Ava mad? Not only had Beatrice read them, but she had memorised every word.

“I’m not angry.” Ava told her, as if she was able to read Beatrice’s panicked thoughts. “Just… Embarrassed.” 

“I thought it was all I had left of you.” Admitted Beatrice. 

“I understand.” Ava nodded and set the journal back down. Did this mean Beatrice knew how she felt? Like, _truly_ felt? 

“Your clothes are in the middle locker.” Beatrice mumbled after a short, slightly awkward silence. “I tried to save what I thought were your favourites.”

“Once again, thank you doesn’t feel like enough.” Ava opened the locker and sorted through forgotten textiles. Quickly, she pulled out a pair of work pants and a blue hoodie, her favourite day off clothing from when she was still in CAS. It was oddly familiar, like Ava was revisiting a version of herself that she thought was dead. Only when Beatrice spoke did she realise she was crying. 

“Are they not the right ones?” Beatrice asked, gently, albeit slightly confused. She’d expected Ava to be happy about this.

“No, it’s not that.” Ava hastily wiped her eyes. “It’s just so… Familiar. It’s weird. I don’t know how to explain it better.”

“That’s okay.” Beatrice took a few steps, closing the distance between them, before pulling Ava into yet another hug. Even if she never let go, it would be too soon.

“I don’t have any shoes.” Ava whispered eventually, looking down at the socks that she’d been wearing when she escaped from the black site. 

“I think we can arrange something.” Beatrice almost laughed at the absurdity of it, but didn’t. “I’ll find a pair while you’re in the shower, okay?” 

“I still have a million more questions, though.” In truth, Ava didn’t want to be alone. She was scared that something would happen, that something would tear her away from Beatrice. Again. 

“And I’ll be here to answer them when you get out. I promise.”

“Alright. Okay.” Ava hung her head, but then looked up to meet Beatrice’s gaze. “It has likely been five weeks since my last shower, so I’m definitely overdue.” 

“A haircut wouldn’t be a terrible idea either.” Beatrice replied with a tiny grin.

“Hey, now.” Ava ran a self-conscious hand over her messy hair. “You’re not wrong but it’s a low blow.” 

A few minutes later, Beatrice found the rest of the crew in the kitchen. Part of her wanted to wait outside the shower room, but she didn’t want to impose. Ava could probably use the time to decompress. As soon as Beatrice entered, she didn’t have the luxury to think about much else, since Camila was throwing questions at her faster than she could answer them.

“How is she? Did you tell her you love her yet? Did you ask about Solis 6? What about the -” 

“Camila.” Shannon interrupted. “I’m sure Beatrice will answer all your questions, but it has been a stressful day.” 

“No kidding.” Lilith muttered from her chair in the corner. 

“She’s… Okay. All things considered.” Beatrice answered, feeling as though she was a few seconds behind the group’s conversation.

“So not insane then?” Mary wondered. While her question lacked tact, it wasn’t misguided. Lilith had warned everyone that it was a distinct possibility. 

“No, not insane.” Beatrice shook her head. “She said she only woke up yesterday.” 

“What?” Lilith was clearly confused. “How is that possible?” 

“That’s probably how long it took to put Ava back together.” Camila shivered as she thought of the footage from Cyclon, footage that she wished had been _less_ high-definition. “She nearly died that night.” 

“But why?” Shannon was leaning against the counter with a bowl of cereal in hand. “Why spend that much time, effort, and credits to keep someone alive when you’ve tried to kill them… I don’t know, several times now?” 

“Ava said they wanted to know about us. Where our headquarters is. Her interrogator didn’t seem to have gotten very far.” Beatrice relayed what Ava had told her. 

“And it was Vincent.” Lilith recognised the name. “He’s the worst of the worst, allegedly.” 

“Ava calls him snake-man. But yes. Fully illegal interrogation, truth serum and everything.” 

“Snake-man?” Camila repeated.

“Apt name.” Lilith bit, clearly angry. “He’s a convicted felon. Instead of actually persecuting him, the Council thought they could make use of his cruelty and hired him outside of the public view.” 

“Did Ava reveal any secrets?” Shannon’s face was full of worry.

“No.” Beatrice shook her head. “She legitimately didn’t know where the headquarters was.”

“This means that the Council thinks we’re a threat. A big one.” Mary surmised. “Why go to all the trouble, otherwise. You’re lucky you weren’t in prison, too, Beatrice.” 

“I know.” Beatrice’s skin felt cold, but Mary was right. The repercussions could have been catastrophic.

“So what now?” Camila drummed her fingers anxiously on the table. 

“We head back to headquarters and continue with the mission.” Beatrice was nothing if not determined. “Ava should probably see an actual doctor when we get there, but then I hope she’ll be ready to join us.” 

“It’s not nice to talk behind people’s backs.” Ava joked, appearing from nowhere in the doorway. 

The first thing that struck Beatrice was how loose Ava’s clothes had become, they hung on her thin body in a way that they definitely hadn’t two years ago. Her hair was pulled back into a neat braid, still wet from the shower, which made her seem even smaller somehow. The second thing that struck Beatrice was Ava’s smile, which made her breath catch and her heart pound, just as it always did. Everything had changed, but in some ways, nothing had.


	14. Long Overdue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More catching up between *friends*

_Winter 2191, Aboard the Crusader_

Beatrice stood rooted to the floor, completely still. She wasn’t even breathing. Seeing Ava again, after only a few minutes apart, was shocking. Her skin felt aflame and she lost all concept of time within an instant. Ava was just as transfixed and the comment she’d been about to make seemed to get lost before it reached her mouth. Thankfully, while the two of them were separated from time, only a second or two had passed.

“Ava.” Mary coughed, rising from the table with a grin on her face - thus breaking whatever spell had existed. “Come sit.” 

“Yes, sir.” Ava muttered with a grin, though her eyes stayed focused on Beatrice as she retreated to the table. Meanwhile, Beatrice found a seat on the couch nearby. She felt exhausted and wide awake all at once. 

Mary dug through the fridge and pantry for a moment, before setting a tray of food in front of Ava. “Eat. You look like a skeleton.” 

“Everyone seems to have a lot to say about my appearance lately.” Ava mumbled, though she was still smiling. 

“We’re all just happy to see you alive.” Camila whispered from across the table. 

“Agreed.” Shannon nodded. She was still leaning against the counter, trying to relax after a stressful operation. “And it will be nice to see Beatrice return to the land of the living.” 

“What do you mean?” Ava froze, raising an eyebrow.

“Perhaps that’s a discussion better suited for another day.” Lilith said, with gravel in her tone. She was sitting in an armchair adjacent to the table. “That likely doesn’t need to have all of us present.” 

“Agreed.” Was all Beatrice managed to choke out. Ava’s gaze focused on Beatrice for a moment, then at everyone in turn. It was weird, to be the center of attention, after so long trying to avoid any attention at all. In the back of her mind, Ava had to shut out the skin-crawling panic that she had conditioned herself to develop. 

“Well,” Ava tried to keep her composure, she could talk to Beatrice more later. “What did I miss?” 

“Tensions between settlements and the Council are rising.” Shannon began. “As is the amount of violent conflicts between them. As you can imagine, the Council is usually the more successful party.” 

“That’s not to say there aren’t resistance fighters, too.” Mary added. “Because there are. And the resistance is growing.” 

“Which I believe we can use to our advantage. Not yet, though, but soon.” Beatrice added in a hoarse whisper. 

“It’s a complicated situation.” Lilith shook her head. “I have to imagine you know about at least some of this. Especially as the face of the resistance.” 

Up until Lilith’s final sentence, Ava had been absorbing the information with surprising calm. While she hadn’t known most of the details, it was a logical direction for the state of colonial affairs. This resistance business, however, was both surprising and unheard of.

“I’m the… _What?_ ” Ava almost choked.

“So you didn’t know…” Lilith whispered, regarding Ava curiously. 

“I actually don’t get out much.” Ava’s joke was met only with silence. 

“Maybe she is insane.” Mary mumbled after a few moments.

“Maybe.” Ava rubbed her eyes and then continued. “Before I was imprisoned I was on a smuggler’s vessel. I never left the ship in a populated area, to avoid a repeat of what happened in Firebend.” Even with only a passing mention, Ava’s guilt resurfaced powerfully. 

“Someone must have recognised you, for the story to get out.” Shannon replied. 

“Yeah, Harold.” Ava answered, as if that was a perfectly reasonable response that needed no elucidation. 

“Of course, Harold.” Camila echoed with a laugh. “Who’s Harold?”

“He is a guard in Crater’s Edge.” 

“You were in Crater’s Edge?” Mary asked. Like everyone else in the room, she had gone over every lead and every rumour, but she didn’t remember any from that settlement. 

“No. Not exactly.” Ava took a deep breath. “After Firebend, I was… Well, my emotions don’t really change the outcome. I walked from Firebend to Crater’s Edge over the course of… A week, maybe? Time lost its meaning there, for a while.”

No one else spoke, so Ava reluctantly continued. “I gave the settlement a wide berth. I couldn’t risk showing up on their cameras. But he saw me in the distance. Ran up, to warn me about a solar storm up ahead.” 

“And then he recognised you.” Beatrice offered. Having read Ava’s journals, she already knew what happened. But hearing the events directly from Ava gave everything new life. 

“He did.” Ava met Beatrice’s eyes for a second then looked back down at her mostly untouched food. “I shouldn’t have told him about Firebend. I know that. Honestly. But I was exhausted and hungry and sick and irradiated and… The words came out before I could stop them.” 

“ _God,_ Beatrice and you were really ready to run into that radiation.” Mary chastised her from across the room.

“Were you?” Ava wondered in a tiny voice. Beatrice only nodded. The confirmation made Ava feel strange. Inexplicably so. 

“That explains what Sio told us in Myre’s Pass.” Lilith surmised. “Once the news spread, it’s easy to see why Ava’s story would inspire the resistance.”

“Even more amazing that she’s still with us.” Shannon was clearly impressed. “Ava, with how much you’ve embarrassed the Council, it’s a testament to your skill that you’re alive.” 

“I think… I was just lucky.” Ava was downplaying her own ability, but she wasn’t entirely wrong. “There were several scenarios that played out in my favour, thankfully.” 

“I’m happy they did.” Camila stretched across the table and put her hand around one of Ava’s. “I missed you so much. Not to mention the worry.” 

“I missed you too.” Ava smiled, though the sadness in her eyes was obvious. “What else did I miss, other than the growing revolution? Anything fun?” 

“Camila built a new ship that is faster than any craft in the known universe.” Lilith bragged, since she knew Camila wouldn’t mention it otherwise. 

“No way!” 

“It’s called the Exodus.” Camila added sheepishly.

“It’s not a comfortable ride.” Beatrice reported. “The g-force at take-off makes your skin feel like it’s going to peel off.” 

“Okay, so it’s lacking _some_ modern comforts.” Camila threw her hands up in feigned frustration. “It’s only a prototype. Maybe model two will have autopilot and storage and interior walls…”

“Sounds awesome.” Ava had always been enthusiastic about Camila’s projects, even if she didn’t necessarily understand all the technical jargon. 

“See, at least someone is enthusiastic.” Camila threw Beatrice a joking glare.

“Call me when your experimental ships have weapons.” Mary chuckled. 

“Guns are too heavy for an evasive stealth vehicle.” Muttered Camila under her breath. “Plus firing them would give away the ship’s position.” 

“Lame.” Mary crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair. Everyone knew that she actually respected both Camila and her work, but that wouldn’t stop the lighthearted teasing between them. 

“I’m sorry you’ve all spent so much time trying to find me.” Ava said suddenly. “It probably kept you from a lot of important work, which would have helped more than one person. Plus, if I’d been less stupid, this could have been over months ago.” 

“Ava…” Beatrice’s voice was steely. Hard.

“As much as I hate to rob you of your agency after everything…” Shannon’s leadership was fierce despite her kind tone. “It wasn’t really up to you. Finding you was one of Beatrice’s conditions for joining the OCSF and I think you will be a greater asset to this team than even you realise.” She paused to take a deep breath. “If we want to rid the galaxy of the Council, I _know_ your help will be invaluable. I think you should work on accepting that.” 

Shannon’s words were still echoing in Ava’s head a few hours later as she sat on the edge of Beatrice’s bed. Sure, she could have picked one of several empty rooms on the ship, but Ava craved both familiarity and safety. Currently, Beatrice was in the shower, but even being in her room was more contact than Ava had had in a _long_ time. 

Somewhat timidly, despite it being her own possession, Ava picked up her most recent journal from the desk. She felt conflicted about Beatrice having read it. Granted, Ava would have done the exact same thing, had the roles been reversed. But now their _friendship_ felt one-sided. Beatrice knew everything that Ava had gone through, for the most part, but Ava was blind to Beatrice’s struggles. A situation that Ava hoped to rectify. 

While she waited for Beatrice to return, Ava flipped through the familiar handwriting, searching for a specific passage. Her hands shook slightly as she re-read through the old entry. 

_November 15th, 2190_

_Contact. Finally. I’ve been waiting for the computer to beep for months. Chanel and Zori both joked that I was going to pace a hole in the floor. I knew it would likely take several weeks, if not longer, but knowing that did not help me stay patient. Not at all. But it was all worth it today. Even crazier, it wasn’t Camila who finally sent a message. It was Beatrice._

_Dark. That was her alias. I know, I know, it could be a Council trap, but I know it isn’t. Firstly, only Beatrice would pick such a military and tactical nickname. Very… Tacti-cool. Ha. Beyond that, I just knew. In my mind’s eye, I could picture Beatrice typing each message, thoughtful down to the last letter. More thoughtful than me, at any rate, yet she still types much faster._

_Something in my heart, or soul, could tell it was her. Despite the digital format. Even speaking through the terminal couldn’t rob Beatrice of her… Beatrice-ness, for lack of a better word. You’d think my feelings would have dissipated with how much time we have spent apart, but they’ve only grown stronger. Now I have only two weeks to gather my thoughts and prepare to tell Beatrice the truth about how I feel._

_That, honestly, is more terrifying than anything else I’ve done. And it’s not like I’ve been living a boring life._

Ava sighed. Beatrice definitely knew how she felt, she had to. Right? Even in her solitude, Ava’s cheeks flushed. Gently, Ava flipped to the next page, only to find a loose piece of paper stuck between the entries that definitely wasn’t there before. With a curious look on her face, Ava pulled the note from the journal and unfolded it, reading the neat script that crossed the page. 

_December 25th, 2190_

_Merry Christmas, Ava. I wish, as always, I had some way to send you these replies. It makes me long to live in another time, where I could tie this scrap to the leg of a hawk, who could somehow find you anywhere. Sadly these are not the times we live in._

_Unlike the last fifteen months, I actually know where you are. Yet, I’m nearly powerless to help. It makes me sick to think of you in that prison, though I know Lilith has spared me from the worst of the details. I’m still not sure if that’s a kindness._

_We’re coming soon, I promise. I hope that one day you can sit and read these replies. I hope that you’re safe soon. I hope that you can hold onto your sanity for a little bit longer. Everyone has doubts, but I don’t. I have faith in you._

_Even after everything, I still smile when I think about our digital contact. I knew it was you just as surely as you knew it was me. You asked me if I was safe, when you really should be more worried about your own wellbeing. Your selflessness, as always, is heartwarming. If not slightly reckless._

_My feelings, like yours, have failed to dissipate in our time apart. Even Mary, Shannon, and Lilith - who’ve never met you nor seen us together, are convinced. They tease me constantly. But I don’t care, not really. There has been too much suffering for me to be concerned with the little things._

_Right now, all that matters is saving you. Emotion can come later._

Tears burned her eyes as Ava rifled through her journal, quickly discovering that Beatrice had written a reply to every single entry. At that, Ava’s heart felt so full she feared it might burst. Of course, she didn’t have time to reflect on it, because the door opened, revealing a freshly showered Beatrice. 

“Ava, I -” Beatrice stopped, upon seeing the journal in Ava’s hands and the tears running down her cheeks. “Why are you crying?”

“You wrote replies…” Ava whispered. Her dark eyes were firmly fixed on Beatrice.

“I thought it was only fair.” Beatrice tried to keep calm as she crossed the room and sat beside Ava. “I brought you these, by the way.”

She set a pack of chewable electrolyte tabs on the desk. Most commonly, these are given to pilots during long flights, especially on ships with hot flight decks. Beatrice had also brought up a bottle of water and a protein shake.

“Thank you.” Ava whispered, without moving. At least, not physically. Her thoughts might as well have been running a marathon.

“It was perhaps… A bit of an invasion of privacy. I’m sorry for that.” Beatrice took a deep breath. Her hair was down, which was rarity, and only a further distraction to Ava. “Writing replied helped me stay focused. No, that doesn’t cover it. I’ve become a bit superstitious, I’m afraid… I thought that if I wrote replies, you’d have to stay alive, wherever you were. You’d have to stay alive so you could read them.” 

“Like I said before, I’m not angry.” Ava could barely hear her own voice over the sound of her own heartbeat. Could Beatrice hear it too? “I just feel like you know everything, all of my personal and embarrassing thoughts. I’ve tried to be strong through everything, but there were many nights where I laid somewhere cold or remote and just _cried._ I resigned myself to dying a dozen times, only to strengthen my resolve to survive upon the sunrise. Of course, you know all of this. Yet, when I think of your experiences, your feelings during everything… I have nothing.” 

“I know.” Beatrice looked down. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologise. It’s not your fault.” Ava knitted her fingers together nervously. “Out of everything, I didn’t expect this to be so hard. But I look forward to reading everything you’ve written.” 

“Really?”

“Yes!” Ava smiled, genuinely, before continuing. “Out of everyone, you should know -” Ava’s words were interrupted by Beatrice’s lips on her own. The movement was sudden and fierce, definitely not lacking in passion. For a split second, Ava was still, completely in shock. A moment later, she returned Beatrice’s gesture with desperate vigor. To say that a kiss between them was long overdue would still be an understatement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> finally a kiss lmfao


	15. The Wrongs I Cannot Correct

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ava and Beatrice talk some more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you have a comment/question/insult/roast/etc that you want to say, i am going to reply to every single comment on this chapter so dont hold back ;)

_Winter 2191, Aboard the Crusader_

Ava stuck one of the electrolyte tabs between her teeth, before crunching down on it. As always, it tasted chalky and vaguely of fruit. 

“Mm… Tastes like the academy.” Ava whispered, while Beatrice watched her silently. “Sorry, I…” She shook her head. “Beatrice, I didn’t even know _who_ was on this ship. I only knew that going along with whatever happened was likely safer than staying in prison. Yet, to find you here… You, the person I’ve been thinking about non-stop for longer than I care to admit. Is… Jarring.” 

“I can’t even imagine.” Beatrice’s voice was hoarse, her cheeks flushed. 

“To go from the absolute lowest to the absolute highest… There aren’t enough words in the galaxy to encompass it.”

“No, there aren't.” 

“And you thought I was _dead._ ” Ava added in a tiny murmur, while looking at the floor. She felt ashamed, guilty for something that hadn’t been her fault. 

“For two weeks, yes.” Beatrice replied succinctly, before elaborating. “I locked myself away at headquarters and didn’t speak to anyone. I shirked all my responsibilities, including missions for which I really should have been present.” A deep sigh escaped her chest. “But that’s still _nothing_ compared to what you’ve been through.” 

“I’m not sure that’s true.” Ava tucked a stray strand of hair behind Beatrice’s ear. “Knowing you were alive, presumably at least, was one of the things that kept me fighting. Motivated to keep going.” 

“I’m alive.” Beatrice breathed while squeezing Ava’s hand in her own. 

“But if I’d thought you were… Gone… Well, I might not be.” A tear streaked across Ava’s face. “I’ll leave it at that.”

“I understand.” Beatrice nodded. “Two weeks after Firebend, I finally went on a mission. It was sensitive, I think the team wanted my tactical input on the situation.” 

“For obvious reasons.” Ava was no stranger to Beatrice’s brilliance. 

“Imagine my surprise when all the protestors know your name and are using your wanted posters as part of their statement. I thought to myself, _no, it’s not possible. It can’t be. It would be too convenient._ After getting my hopes up and having them dashed so brutally, I was determined to never be hopeful again. But I couldn’t help it.” 

“All of this is only confirming that you, maybe, might have feelings for me.” A crooked grin spread across Ava’s face. 

“Ava, we just kissed.” Yet Beatrice was powerless to stop her own smile. 

“And I’d do it again.” Ava mumbled, before leaning forward and running a gentle hand along Beatrice’s cheek. Their lips met for the second time that evening, this time much softer than the first, but no less passionate.

“ _God,_ Ava…” The moment they broke apart, Beatrice wrapped her arms around Ava. “I barely want to let you out of my sight. The thought of being away from you, after everything, makes my heart ache.” 

“I feel the same.” Ava replied from within Beatrice’s firm embrace. “Will you tell me your story? Please?” 

“My story?” 

“You know what I’ve been through, mostly. But I want to know _everything._ Where you’ve been, what you’ve done… What the OCSF is like… _Everything._ And I cannot wait to read everything you’ve written, but I won’t lie… I want to hear it from you first.”

“Okay.” Beatrice retrieved the protein shake from the desk and pressed it into Ava’s hands. “But you need to drink this while we talk.” 

“I can do that.” Ava smiled gently. “How long was it before you went down to Fallbrook to look for me?” 

“Three weeks. I’m sorry I couldn’t follow you sooner, but the Council was keeping a really close watch on Camila and I. It was everything I could do to sneak away when I did.”

“What happened?” 

“I had to bribe my way in, but ultimately I met a woman named Gretchen who told me that you’d been there, but had disappeared.” Beatrice explained, her eyes closed. She could still picture the day with crystal clarity. How naïve she had been to think Ava would still be there. 

“That’s true, actually.” Ava muttered. “She is a criminal, but honest enough.”

“I think she just wanted me out of town, which is unsurprising.”

“Agreed.” Ava took a reluctant sip before following up with, “Then what?” 

“Nothing notable happened for several weeks. I was working with CAS during the day but spending my nights secretly tapping contacts and looking for information about you.” Beatrice admitted. 

“What about sleeping?” Ava was no stranger to how exhausting military work can be, even without your missing _friend_ weighing heavily on your soul.

“I wasn’t doing much of that.” Beatrice sighed and Ava noted the dark bags beneath her eyes. “I’m still not.”

“That much is clear.” Ava’s concern was poorly masked.

“But I finally had a break come winter. Lilith managed to use her board connections and get me your file. Your _actual_ file.” 

“Do you still have it?” Ava’s eyes widened at the prospect. “I’m kind of curious.” 

“In my room at headquarters, yes.” Beatrice smirked slightly. “So then Camila and I resigned, as you know, only to be recruited a few days later.” 

“You’re both incredibly talented women. If OCSF didn’t headhunt you, someone else surely would have.” 

“For Camila, maybe.” Beatrice was modest. “She could probably out-invent most billion credit companies by herself.” 

“I don’t disagree, but I think you’re selling yourself short.” Even before they became friends, Ava had always admired Beatrice’s mind and talent.

“Look who’s talking.” Beatrice muttered in a feigned pout.

“Oh, don’t even.” Ava laughed but it seemed false. “I have no doubt that if you and I had switched places, you would have not only survived, but likely found the OCSF faster than I did.” 

“Ava, I’m not sure that’s true.” Beatrice shook her head. “I’m not sure you realise just how many resources the Council poured into finding you. Plus, the OCSF has the most sophisticated and extensive monitoring network in the galaxy, plus several bright minds, and we still struggled to find you.” 

“Okay, okay.” Ava acquiesced and wiped the tears from her eyes. “Sorry… What happened after you joined the OCSF?” 

“Well, I told Superion that I was looking for you, but she already had a file on you and was doing the same thing. She wanted to recruit you from the start. It was odd, at first, getting used to all the anti-Council talk.” 

“I can imagine.” Ava whispered. 

“Camila and I stood out for a few months, we were, as Mary says, a little ‘too military.’”

“Gosh, I can’t picture her saying such a thing.” Ava joked. She already liked and respected Mary, alongside everyone else aboard the Crusader. 

“Funny.” Beatrice retorted, though she smiled. “Anyway, shortly after that we made a trip to the Groundbreaker to recruit Lilith.” 

“Did you get noodles?”

“We did.” 

“What did Lilith do before this?” Ava wondered suddenly. The amount of information that she had to catch up on was both staggering and overwhelming. 

“She worked _special operations_ for the board. Unsurprisingly, she isn’t forthcoming with the details, but we have her to thank for your rescue.” 

“Really?” 

“Yes.” An expression flashed across Beatrice’s face, one that Ava was slow to recognise. Shame? “Despite my incessant panicking after what happened on Cyclon, it would have taken me _at least_ another month to gather the information about the prison that she already had. Not to mention the contacts.”

“I hope the guard who helped me is okay.” Ava breathed, her mind suddenly thousands miles away and back in prison. “He likely saved my life. Or at least my sanity.” 

“He’ll probably lose his job, but that might be for the best.” Beatrice put a hand on Ava’s shoulder, attempting to anchor her to this reality.

“I owe her, and you, and everyone, a million thank you’s.” A sharp sigh escaped Ava’s lips.

“You, being here, is all the thank you I need.” Beatrice mumbled, blushing slightly as she spoke. For a few seconds, Ava only stared at her, but eventually she found her voice again. 

“You’re more sentimental than I remember.” Ava’s cheeks were just as flushed as Beatrice’s. 

“Perhaps…” Beatrice felt tears in her eyes. “I’ve spent the last 479 days working to bring you back. And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t regret, every single day, not telling you how I felt sooner. Before… Well, everything.” 

Ava opened her mouth to reply, but the intercom beeped before she could say anything. “Beatrice, sorry to interrupt your sensual lovemaking with our escaped convict.” Camila’s giggles were clear behind her words. “But a call from Superion is coming through and she wants your input.” With a lighthearted groan, Beatrice rose to reply.

“Were I still your superior officer, you would be spending your evening running laps.” 

“But as it stands, you are not.” Camila continued to laugh and Ava couldn’t help but join in - Beatrice’s embarrassment was adorably hilarious. 

“No, I’m not.” She took her finger off the button for a second to take a deep breath. “I’ll be down in a moment.” 

“No rush, lovebird.” 

Beatrice turned to face Ava. “Sorry about that.” 

“Why are you apologising? I thought it was funny.” Ava paused and grew more serious. “Teasing aside, you’ve found a family here, Beatrice. More than you ever had in CAS.” 

“I know.” Beatrice smiled. “And hopefully, you will too.” She added, pulling her boots back on.

“Hopefully.” Ava agreed. 

“I’ll be back as soon as I can, I promise.” Beatrice seemed to sense that Ava didn’t want to be alone for an extended period of time. “Do you need anything? More painkillers, food, clothes, or -”

“I’m fine.” Ava interrupted. “I’ve actually…” A devilish grin spread across her face. “Got some reading to do.” 

“Oh, no.” Beatrice feigned embarrassment for a moment before pressing a quick kiss to Ava’s forehead and then slipping out into the hall. 

Without waiting for a moment, Ava lifted both her journals from the desk and then sat back down on Beatrice’s bed to read them. She had every intention of reading every single reply in one sitting. This would have been a noble attempt at any time, but given Ava’s recent adversity, it was completely unrealistic. Between the newfound safety and the overwhelming thoughts of Beatrice, Ava fell asleep after reading about six words. In her slumber, Ava accidentally knocked the most recent journal to the floor. From within, one of Beatrice’s replies fell out, a stark white sheet of paper against the dark metal floor. 

_January 7th, 2191_

_We’re in a holding pattern a safe distance from the prison, waiting on Camila’s order. She’s got a probe within their computer system so once we get word from our man on the inside, she will turn off the power. I’m so thankful for her skills on this, there’s no way we’d be able to pull this off without her._

_Lilith too, of course, who provided the inside knowledge that allowed us to organise a prison break from the Council’s highest security facility in only a few weeks. Shannon and Mary are both on standby, waiting to provide fire support if needed, though I desperately hope it isn’t. I’m beyond grateful for everyone’s help. It’s hard to even verbalise._

_I’ve run through this plan a thousand times in my mind, I stay up at night trying to figure out ways that it could go wrong. There are dozens. What pains me is those I cannot correct. The next few hours will likely be the most difficult of my life. I’m not naïve to the possibilities. But there isn’t anymore planning to be done, now all I have is hope._

_And I have never been so hopeful in my life. We’ve been too close too many times now. I don’t know if I have the strength to pass you by again. If I had even a fraction of your strength, perhaps I wouldn’t feel this way. Though my… Somewhat invasive study of your journals proves that you long for me the same way I long for you, another part of myself finds those words hard to believe. Maybe in time, I won’t. Or, maybe in time we’ll be able to act on them instead._

_Ava, if you’re reading this, it’s likely too late for any of this to matter. But I’m nervous and being a bit indulgent in my anxieties. Just… God, be safe. Get out of prison, don’t do anything stupid, and don’t lose your mind along the way._

  
_A lot has changed in your absence, but in some ways, nothing has. I’ve had to come to terms with how I feel, feelings which have only grown in intensity since your disappearance. I only hope that_ _when_ _you make it back, I’ll be strong enough to tell you that I’m in love with you._


	16. Safe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ava arrives at the OCSF headquarters.

_Winter 2191, Aboard the Crusader_

“Ava?” Beatrice knelt beside the bed and rested a gentle hand on Ava’s shoulder, trying not to startle her. 

“Hmm?” Ava didn’t open her eyes but she showed some signs of life.

“We’re going to be docking in about an hour.” Beatrice explained in a whisper. “I thought you might want coffee and breakfast.” 

“Coffee?” Ava opened her eyes and sat up, making Beatrice laugh.

“Yes, coffee.” Repeated Beatrice, gesturing to the two steaming mugs on the desk.

“ _God,_ I haven’t had coffee in…” Ava rubbed the sleep from her face as she sat up. “Well, it’s been a long time.”

“I figured as much.” Beatrice passed her a mug and then leaned against the desk, carefully watching Ava. After so much time spent apart, Beatrice swore she’d never tire of looking at the woman who sat before her.

“Mmm…” A slightly dramatic moan escaped Ava’s lips after her first sip. “So good.” Slowly, Ava began to take in more of the details around her. There was a sleeping roll spread across the floor and a few photos tacked to the wall. The journals that Ava had been so intent on reading were re-stacked on the corner of the desk. Beatrice had also changed into a different uniform, though it was almost identical to the one she’d been wearing the day prior. “Um… Beatrice? Did you sleep on the floor?” 

“I…” Beatrice hung her head for a moment, though Ava still caught the blush that crept across her cheeks. “Well, yeah. By the time I got back you were asleep. I didn’t want to wake you up, but I also didn’t want to leave your side, so…” She looked back up and met Ava’s gaze. “But I didn’t want you to wake up alone, either.” 

“Why didn’t you just…” Ava trailed off. “You could have slept with me.” 

“I didn’t think it’d be proper.” 

“What?” Ava stared at Beatrice, thinking she was serious until a grin spread across her face. “Oh. You’re joking.” 

“Yes.” Beatrice nodded. “I was, genuinely, quite nervous about the prospect though.” 

“Well, I’m sure there will be other nights.” Ava smirked, trying to swallow her own nerves as she spoke. 

“I imagine so.” Beatrice replied, before looking at her watch. “How did you sleep?” 

“Good, actually.” For the first time in a long time, Ava had a genuinely restful night of sleep. “Wait, what time is it?” 

“0900 hours. On January 8th.” Beatrice reported. “You were asleep for fourteen hours.” 

“Hmm… That explains why I feel surprisingly well rested.” 

“I’m glad to hear that.” Beatrice took a sip of her own coffee before continuing. “Our arrival headquarters might be a bit chaotic, or overwhelming. I can’t even imagine how overwhelming everything has already been for you. But I’m here, okay? We’re all here.” 

“Thank you.” Ava smiled. “Being alone and on the run for so long really messed with my perception of time and excitement. Sure, there were tons of nerve wracking and dangerous moments, but a lot of it was insanely boring.”

Beatrice only watched Ava intently, so she continued explaining. “That, coupled with the odd gap in my memory has made everything feel… Odd. And overwhelming.” 

“I hope that, with time, you’ll start feeling a bit better.” 

“I mean, I already feel a thousand times better than I did yesterday.” 

“I’m happy to hear that.” Beatrice paused for a moment, in thought. “Do you want to go down and have breakfast before we land?” 

“Yes, please.” Ava rose, lessening the already small space that existed between her and Beatrice. After a moment’s hesitation, Ava pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek, before opening the room’s heavy, metal door. “Lead the way.” She added with a devilish grin.

“You’re…” Beatrice’s face burned once more. “Impossible, sometimes.” 

“You know, I get that a lot.” Ava mumbled as Beatrice led her down the corridor and to the ship’s kitchen.

“Good morning!” Camila jumped up from the couch and greeted Ava with another tight hug. 

“Good morning.” Ava replied with a smile. Being on the receiving end of such warmth was undeniably odd for Ava, but in the absolute best way.

“I made breakfast bars. Do you want one?” Camila asked, buzzing slightly in her excitement. Clearly, the day since Ava’s rescue had done little to temper her exuberance. 

“Yes, please.” Ava found a seat on the couch and Beatrice sat by her side. 

“Bea, how about you?” 

“Please and thank you.” Beatrice nodded. “Where is everyone else?” 

“Lilith is asleep. She spent most of the night going over some reports that Superion sent through. Shannon and Mary are in the cockpit, I think.” Camila answered from the counter as she made a plate for her friends.

“Anything of note?” Beatrice asked quietly.

“Nothing urgent.” Camila returned and took a seat at the table. 

“Thank you for breakfast.” Ava whispered. Camila’s breakfast bars were the stuff of legend back in CAS. Somehow, she could turn even the grossest rations into a baked square of deliciousness. 

“Thank you.” Beatrice was more taciturn. “Nothing urgent, but is it bad news?” 

“Well, it’s not often we get good news.” Camila sighed. “There will likely be a briefing when we get back to headquarters. In a nutshell, Council and colony relations are deteriorating faster than we could have predicted.”

“Hmm…” Beatrice considered Camila’s words. She, Lilith, and Camila had built the projection models that the OCSF used to try and predict hotspots of Council-related tension. “We must have missed something in our calculations.” 

“Most likely.” Camila nodded solemnly. Meanwhile, Ava slowly ate while her two friends conversed. “We’re probably going to get sent back to Myre’s Pass within the next few days. Between the existing tensions, the arms buildup, and the weapons array… Well, the entire settlement is a ticking time bomb, despite our best efforts.”

“A time bomb that we are running out of ways to defuse.” 

“Exactly.” 

“We might have armed its citizens, but if the Council decides the colony isn’t worth the trouble, there isn’t anything that can protect them.” Beatrice surmised. Ava shivered beside her, thinking of Firebend for the millionth time. Gently, Beatrice rested a hand on Ava’s leg, a non-verbal apology of sorts. 

“We might have to move up some of our long term plans.” Camila muttered, clearly frustrated and worried. “But there will be a full briefing when we get back. Maybe that will provide some clarity.” 

“Hopefully.” Beatrice added, before methodically eating her own breakfast. Ava stayed silent. She had barely any idea about the state of affairs in the galaxy, thus she felt she had nothing to contribute. 

After a few minutes, Camila broke said silence with a lighter sentiment. “We should be getting close to headquarters now. Ava, do you want to come to the cockpit? The landing is pretty incredible, especially the first time you see it.” 

“Sure!” Ava followed Camila across the ship, walking hand in hand with Beatrice. 

“Woah…” Whispered Ava once she reached the massive window at the ship’s cockpit. The burning surface of Solis 4 churned a few hundred feet beneath the ship, with the huge obsidian mountain in the distance as a stark contrast.

“It’s really something, huh?” Mary grinned from her seat beside JC, as she watched Ava take in the dramatic scenery. 

“And guess what the best part is?” Shannon added from her spot by Mary’s side.

“What?” Ava’s eyes were wide in anticipation and Beatrice couldn’t help but smile at the sight of it. Even after everything Ava had been through, she still retained a childlike excitement that made Beatrice’s heart pound.

“The base is inside the mountain.”

“That is… So _cool._ ” Ava breathed, unable to take her eyes off the landscape. 

\-----

_Twenty Minutes Later, Solis 4, OCSF Headquarters_

Beatrice held Ava’s hand as she walked through the obsidian hewn hallways for the first time. Ava seemed just as impressed with the scene as she was her first time, even stopping to look at the massive mural that had been carved into the floor.

“This is a bit odd, isn’t it.” Ava whispered as she stared at the stone design beneath her boots. Or more accurately, the boots that Beatrice had given her. 

“How so?” Beatrice stopped by her side, while everyone else continued on down the corridor. 

“Well, the OCSF was established by the Council, as one of many agencies. Now, the OCSF directly opposes the council, but still retains their original mission statement.” 

“It’s funny. I thought the same thing the first time I walked through this hall.” 

“Really?” 

“Yes.” Beatrice nodded. “But we better catch up with everyone else. Superion doesn’t like to be kept waiting. And sorry, in advance. I have a feeling it’s going to be a busy day… Week… Well, I’m not sure you’re going to get much of a rest.” 

“That’s okay.” Ava walked quickly beside Beatrice as they continued towards Superion’s office. “Helping people isn’t exactly something that can be scheduled, can it?” 

“No, I suppose not.” 

Another minute found the six of them outside Superion’s door. “Should I be nervous?” Ava asked under her breath.

“Definitely.” Mary told her.

“No.” Said Shannon at the same time.

“Helpful.” Lilith added a moment later, looking between Mary and Shannon, before pushing open the door.

“Miss Silva.” Superion’s face was drawn; serious. “It’s nice to finally meet the woman behind the legend.” There was a huge file on Superion’s desk, labelled with Ava’s name.

“I know, I know.” Ava wore a crooked grin, likely a result of her nervousness. “You expected me to be taller, right?” 

“Funny.” Superion muttered, without changing her expression in the slightest. Ava’s smile withered away after that.

“The extraction mission went according to plan.” Lilith reported. “Clearly.” 

“Were there any deviations from your original briefings?” 

“Most of the hanger and several flight vehicles were destroyed.” Mary noted.

“And how did that happen?” 

“Ava fired a missile into the structure.” Shannon mumbled. 

“Is that so?” Superion fixed her gaze upon Ava.

“Yes.” Ava whispered.

“Very well.” She looked down at one of the reports on her desk. “We have a lot of work to do, without the luxury of enough time to do it.”

“Our timeline is off, isn’t it.” Beatrice feared the worst.

“I’m afraid so.” A look of trepidation crossed Superion’s face, but only for a moment. “That being said, all is not lost. At least, not yet. Mary, Shannon; I need you both to prepare strike teams A and B for peacekeeping missions on Solis 6.”

“Of course.” Shannon nodded and led Mary from the room.

“Camila, please show Ava around the facility and then have her report to the infirmary. I want a full panel done before I can clear her for duty.” 

“Yes ma’am.” Camila nothing if not respectful.

“Depending on what the doctor says, have her take the full combat assessment.” Superion added. Ava wasn’t sure if she should be nervous or excited for this. “I hope you can excuse the formalities, Ava. Given what I know about your last two years, I’d like to ensure that you are ready before sending you into the field.”

“I understand.” Mumbled Ava, keeping her eyes fixed on the floor.

Camila led Ava from the office, but Superion’s next sentence was audible before the door closed. “I’d like you both to stay and go over some troubling reports from one of the outer colonies.” 

“That doesn’t sound good.” Ava whispered to Camila as they started down the hallway. 

“No. It probably isn’t.” Camila led Ava around the corner. “This is the residential block. You’ll get assigned a room if you want one, or you could stay with Beatrice.” 

“Oh, I… Umm…” Ava felt the tips of her ears turn red. “I’m not sure if she wants that.” 

“Ava, don’t be daft.” Camila laughed and the sound echoed against the obsidian walls. “Beatrice has spent nearly every waking hour for the last sixteen months trying to find you.” 

“I know that, but…” 

“But, what?” Camila asked as they turned towards the dining hall.

“But… I don’t want to impose. Or be a burden.” 

“Trust me when I tell you this.” Camila took a deep breath before continuing. “Maybe Beatrice is keeping her emotions close to her chest, but she was dying without you. Even after we knew you were still alive, every day it was like another small piece of her soul fizzled away. She barely smiled, barely spoke to anyone if it wasn’t about work. And after the incident on Cyclon, she hardly spoke at all. In the _single day_ that you’ve been back, she’s smiled more than she did during the entire last year.”

“Oh.” It felt as though Ava’s heart had been punched out. “I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to apologise for!” Camila stopped in front of the dining hall. “This is the mess hall, by the way. Three meals per day, just like in CAS.” 

“Good to know.” Ava’s mind was still focused on what Camila had said about Beatrice, rather than the tour of the facility. 

“Next door is the training facility.” Camila pointed to the door. “Full gym, firing range, holographic training sims. I helped design some of the training modules myself. We even have a custom exam to test combat readiness, which has been instrumental in preparing new recruits.” 

“You’ve done amazing work here.” The awe in Ava’s voice was obvious. “Seriously, Camila, you’re amazing.” 

“It’s a team effort.” Camila smiled, but then grew more serious. “I feel… A bit guilty about being a willing member of CAS for as long as I was, now that I know how awful the Council truly is. Everything I do here genuinely helps people, which is a big motivator.”

“I can imagine.” OCSF was everything Ava had dreamed CAS would be, but a thousand times better. 

“Plus, I’m not the only one doing good work here.” Camila added as led Ava towards the workshop. “Shannon and Mary trained two talented strike teams, not only in combat, but also conflict resolution. Right before Beatrice and I joined, there was a catastrophic loss, which left the OCSF without hardly any personnel. It also robbed Mary of her left arm, though I think she prefers the cybernetic now.” 

“Wow.” Ava uttered a single syllable. 

“I know. Also, Beatrice and Lilith both helped design some of the training modules, plus Lilith has helped me with a lot of the mechanical work. Meanwhile, she and Beatrice have also been designing a super-intelligent AI that can accurately run through various models and project probable outcomes on a galaxy-wide scale.” 

“I don’t understand half of what you’re saying.” Ava admitted quietly. 

“Over the last several months, they’ve inputed all of our surveillance data and reports into a simulation of our galaxy. With continued work, the model grows more accurate. This allows us to test plans virtually, providing us with several likely outcomes. It helps us plan safer missions and refine our methods.” Camila explained.

“I see…” Ava was impressed, but she also felt slightly out of her depth. Everyone here was amazing, what did she have to contribute?

“Here’s the workshop!” Camila announced excitedly, distracting Ava from her darker thoughts. “This is where the magic happens.” As usual, there were a dozen projects spread over each table, in various states of disrepair.

“You certainly keep busy, don’t you.” A smile crept across Ava’s face. Not everything had changed, at least. In CAS, Camila had always been reprimanded for tinkering with the equipment, even if her work vastly improved its function. Such was clearly not the case in the OCSF.

“Yes, for sure.” Camila pulled the door shut. “Right around the corner is the infirmary.” 

“Oh, joy.” Ava wasn’t looking forward to her exam in the slightest. 

“It’s for the best.” Camila patted Ava gently on the shoulder. “We all want you healthy.”

“I know, I know.” She took a few steps in Camila’s specified direction. 

“I’ll be in the workshop, come get me when you’re done!” 

“Yes sir.” Ava jokingly saluted before turning the corner. 

Unsurprisingly, the infirmary was stark and unforgiving. And _bright._ Compared to the dim obsidian hallways, Ava stood in the doorway for several seconds as her eyes adjusted. Only then did she realise there was a woman staring at her.

“Hi.” Ava whispered, waving to the woman. It was a rather awkward spectacle.

“You must be Ava.” The woman said, drawing closer and shaking Ava’s hand. “I’m doctor Sarte.”

“It’s nice to meet you.”

“Likewise. Obviously, like everyone with ears around here, I’ve heard about your exploits across the galaxy.” Her words were unmistakably kind, but Ava was still slightly uncomfortable. Having everyone know everything about her definitely would take some getting used to.

“That’s… Comforting?” 

“I know, I know. You must be so overwhelmed.” Doctor Sarte led Ava to one of the exam tables. “It must be tough to cope with sometimes.” 

“I…” Ava paused as she sat down, realising that this might not be _just_ a physical examination. “Sure. You could say that.”

“ _Should_ I say that?” She asked, looking up from the datapad in her hands.

“I’m not insane.” Ava whispered.

“Ava.” Doctor Sarte set the pad down and took a step forward. “I don’t think you’re insane. But you’ve been through a lot.” 

“Maybe, but -”

“You don’t need to qualify your experiences.” The doctor interrupted. “My job is to make sure that you are up to fighting standards, both physically and mentally. There’s a long, difficult road ahead for the lot of us and I’d only be doing you a disservice by not helping you now.” 

“Okay.” Ava visibly relaxed. “I get it.” 

“Good. Now lay down, let’s see what we’re working with here.” She instructed. Ava did as she was told. A moment later, a mechanical arch folded out from the end of the table, with a faint blue light ringing the inside of it. Almost silently, the device scanned the length of Ava’s body several times. “It’s a diagnostic scanner, with an electrically boosted, rare earth metal core. Pretty amazing, huh?” 

“I guess?” Ava tried to stay still as she replied. Doctor Sarte looked at the readings on her datapad as they came through and a second later, the scanner folded back into the table.

“Alright, let’s see.” Her eyes moved quickly across the words. “Malnourished and underweight, heaps of scar tissue, calcium deficiency, and… Hm… That’s concerning.” 

“What’s concerning?”

Doctor Sarte looked up, her blue eyes completely serious. “I’d almost think it was a mistake, but it’s too big an error. The evidence is all there…” 

“What is it…?” Ava felt nervous. Again.

“Erm… You were dead.”

“I was _what?”_ Ava was sure, she was _sure_ , that she had misheard the doctor.

“Dead.” She looked back down at the datapad. “For about an hour.” 

“How…?” Ava felt sick, like the room was spinning around her. “How is that possible?” 

“The Council has medical capabilities that the rest of the galaxy can only dream of.” Doctor Sarte explained, painfully aware of Ava’s emotional reaction to the news.

“Well, now I’m not sure if I should be freaked out or angry.” 

“Angry?” Whatever the doctor had been expecting Ava to say, it wasn’t that.

“People die of easily curable diseases in the colonies _every day._ ” Ava exhaled sharply. “And the Council has the technology to bring people back from the dead?! And they brought me back from the dead, after pouring millions of credits into having me killed? What a _fucking_ waste!” 

“Ava…” 

“It doesn’t matter.” Ava crossed her arms in frustration. “I was alive, then dead, now I’m alive again. Nothing has changed.”

“It would be more than understandable if this was stressful to hear.” Doctor Sarte kept her voice calm and controlled. 

“It is, but it isn’t.” Ava shrugged. “I know that’s contradictory, but this news has only given me more reason to fight. Not that I really needed it, but still.” 

“If it’s any consolation, whoever was responsible for your medical care following what happened on Cyclon did a fantastic job.” 

“It’s not, but thanks.” Ava sighed. “Sorry. I don’t mean to be harsh with you, you’ve been nothing but nice to me.”

“Your frustration is more than understandable.” 

“Still.” Ava shook her head. “That’s no reason to be rude.”

“Psychologically speaking, after an extended bout of trauma, it’s normal to feel as though you don’t have as tight a handle on your emotions as you might want.” Doctor Sarte explained.

“I…” She bit back her joke. “Will that go away at some point?” 

“Most likely.” 

“Most likely.” Ava repeated, turning the words over in her mind. “Well, I’ve had worse. I’ve died, remember?” 

“It might not be the best thing to joke about.” The doctor mumbled, while sorting through a nearby drawer of medications.

“You’re probably right.” For a few moments, Ava got lost in her thoughts, feeling oddly outside herself. Like an external and impartial observer, instead of the actual occupant of her mind.

“Okay, here we go.” Doctor Sarte returned a moment later with a small tray. On it, one needle filled with a clear fluid, plus several pills. “You’re not scared of shots, are you?” 

“I’ve been shot at with actual guns, so… Yes, I am.” Ava laughed, diffusing some of the tension in the room. Doctor Sarte smiled, slightly.

“I’ll make it quick.” She lifted the injection from the tray. “This will help your body flush out any residual radiation.”

“Awesome.” Ava muttered, flinching slightly as the metal pierced her skin. “What about this fun assortment here?” She asked, gesturing to the pills. 

“Calcium supplement.” Doctor Sarte reported, handing Ava a glass of water while pointing to the various drugs. “Two multivitamins, an immune booster, and an amino supplement.” 

“Oh, is that all?” Ava swallowed the lot.

“I mean, ideally, you’d spend the next two weeks eating and sleeping, without seeing combat… But that’s not realistic.” The doctor sighed, hating the reality.

“I suppose not.” Ava met her gaze. “My friends risk their lives every day to help people. I’m not going to sit idly by if I can help.” 

“I figured you would say that.” 

Ava stood up. “Why?” 

“You must be pretty determined to survive through everything.” Doctor Sarte sounded genuinely impressed. 

“Well, mostly.” Ava tried to joke but she just shuddered. What would Beatrice say if she knew that Ava had been literally _dead?_

“I’m clearing you for your assessment, but please get some lunch first.” The doctor added, signing Ava’s file on her datapad.

“Thanks.” Ava nodded before heading for the door. “I know it’s not what you want to do, but I appreciate it. I’m not really the ‘sit around and rest’ type of person.” 

“Yes, I gathered that.” She replied, though there was a smile on Doctor Sarte’s face. “But seriously, make sure you’re not missing any meals and try to get a full night’s sleep. Remember, you’re safe here.” 

  
“I will.” Ava gave her a wave before walking back out into the hall. “ _God,_ you have no idea what it’s like to hear that.” She added in a whisper, entirely to herself. “Safe.” The word had all but lost its meaning.


	17. Keeping Score

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ava begins her assessment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i deleted all my social media cuz i didnt want to EXIST

_ Winter 2191, Solis 4, OCSF Headquarters _

“Cam?” Ava stood in the middle of the workshop, looking out over the vast array of disassembled projects. Fervently, she tried to put Doctor Sarte’s words out of her head, at least for now. 

“Yeah?” A metallic clank accompanied Camila’s reply, and a moment later her head appeared from behind a thruster module.

“I’m cleared.” Ava mumbled, unable to fully forget what she had just learned. 

“Oh! That’s great!” Camila wiped her hands on a nearby cloth, before giving Ava yet another hug. “Are you ready for your assessment?” 

“I’m kind of nervous… Oh, and I’m meant to get lunch first.” 

“Good plan.” Camila began walking towards the door and Ava followed. 

A few minutes later, the two of them were sitting at one of the long tables in the dining hall. Methodically, but slowly, Ava picked away at her lunch. Camila looked on, but didn’t say anything.

“Everyone is staring at me.” Ava whispered.

“You’re kind of a big deal.” 

“How odd.” Ava sighed. Beatrice was right, this was overwhelming. “How worried should I be for this assessment?” 

“It’s not bad.” Camila answered honestly. “There’s four sections. The first is a combat simulation, then a stress test, followed by a firearm exam. Lastly, there is a written assessment.” 

“A  _ written  _ test?” Ava rubbed her head. “Will my suffering never end?”

“Perhaps not, but Beatrice is here.” Camila nodded towards the doorway and Ava couldn’t keep from smiling.

“Maybe my luck is changing!” Ava grinned. Lilith appeared a moment later. “And maybe yours, too.” 

“Maybe.” Camila wore a similar expression to Ava’s.

“Tell me, is it nice to spend time together after so long?” Ava asked. Unlike Beatrice, Ava had known about Camila and Lilith’s long distance relationship before her arrest.

“You have no idea.” Camila’s gaze followed Lilith through the room. “Well, actually you probably do.” 

“I do.” Ava replied solemnly. “I’m happy for you.” There was nothing but genuine kindness behind Ava’s words, but she still felt sad. Life had moved on without her and there was  _ so much  _ that she needed to catch up on.

Before Camila could reply, both Beatrice and Lilith found a seat at the table. “Ava, are you cleared?” Beatrice inquired immediately. Even during her sensitive briefing with Superion, her thoughts were focused primarily on Ava.

“Yes.” Ava swallowed. Already she knew that keeping what Doctor Sarte had told her a secret was going to be difficult.

“What happened in your briefing?” Camila wondered, while grabbing Lilith’s free hand tightly across the table. “It sounded serious.” 

“Issues in Myre’s Pass.” Lilith answered vaguely.

“We’ll likely get sent out within a few days. Superion is going over the data now and considering our options.” Beatrice explained. Under the table, she laid a gentle hand on Ava’s knee.

“Do they have a few days?” Ava asked in a quiet voice. “Granted, I don’t know much and have a lot to learn, but…” She trailed off, unsure of how to continue.

“Most likely.” Lilith tried to sound more confident that she felt. Lately, it seemed like there was less and less they could be sure of.

“Will I get to come?” Ava followed up with another question. Oddly enough, she was excited at the prospect of a mission - at the prospect of helping people. 

“If you pass your assessment, yes.” Beatrice nodded and smiled, though the worry behind her eyes was obvious. 

“Hmm…” Despite everything, it was hard not to smile in Beatrice’s presence. “Well, what do you think my chances are?” 

“To pass?” Beatrice raised an eyebrow. “I’m fairly certain you will.” 

“Maybe you’ll even make it on the high scores list.” Camila suggested. 

“There’s a high scores list?” Ava’s eyes grew wide and once again, Beatrice saw the joyous, childish side of Ava that she adored. 

“Yes. Isn’t it ridiculous?” Muttered Lilith without looking up from her lunch.   
“You’re just mad because you don’t have the top score.” Camila retorted with a competitive grin.

“Who does?” Even with obvious danger brewing elsewhere in the galaxy, Ava was more than curious about this. About her new friends and her old friends. About, well,  _ everything.  _ It was overwhelming, true, but also amazing in a strange way. 

“Who do you think?” Camila pointed towards Beatrice, who promptly blushed. 

“Well, I’m not surprised.” Ava shrugged. “How is it scored?”

“There’s four parts, each one scored out of twenty five points. The best possible score is one hundred.” Beatrice explained. 

“And what do I have to get to beat you?” Ava couldn’t keep herself from asking as she met Beatrice’s gaze. 

“Ava…” Beatrice began to warn her, not wanting Ava to overexert herself because she was trying to beat some meaningless score. Respect between the two of them was obvious, but Beatrice was understandably overprotective. 

“Beatrice has a ninety four, currently.” Camila interrupted. “Though the five of us all have scores above ninety. You only need a seventy to pass.” 

“A ninety four…” Ava repeated, as Beatrice remained silent, carefully watching Ava’s expression. It was clear to her that Ava was desperate for distraction, for something to throw herself into. But why?

“I’ll admit, I’m curious to see what the infamous Ava can do.” Lilith spoke quietly, but with a small smile. 

“I can drink an entire bottle of Vim Pop in less than ten seconds.” Ava joked, though it wasn’t much of a brag. 

“Oh,  _ God. _ ” Camila put her head in her hands, remembering the mess that she and Ava had made on the flight deck of their CAS vessel, attempting the same thing.

“Wow. Colour me impressed.” Lilith rose from the table, empty tray in hand. “Good luck, Ava.” She added, before giving Camila a quick kiss on the cheek and leaving the room.

“Crap.” Camila looked at her watch. “I didn’t realise how late it was, I’ve got work to do!” She stood a moment later, speeding from the room with an almost comical gait.

“So…” Ava turned to Beatrice, suddenly feeling much more awkward than she did before. “How are you today?” 

“Ava. What’s bothering you?” Beatrice’s expression was hard.

“Umm…” Now was definitely  _ not  _ the time to tell her about what Doctor Sarte had discovered. Instead, Ava sighed. “I’m not sure I have time to give you a whole list right now, nor is this a good place to talk about it.”

“That’s… Fair.” Beatrice seemed slightly disarmed with Ava’s reply. 

“What’s bothering you? Hm?” Ava slid closer to Beatrice on the bench, leaving only a few inches between them. Sure, she was trying to deflect, but Beatrice had seen right through her pathetic distractions earlier. Thus, she needed to be more distracting. 

“I could give you the same answer that you gave me.” Beatrice was finding it increasingly hard to string together a full sentence with how close Ava was, despite her worries.

“Good point.” Ava pressed the tiniest kiss to the tip of Beatrice’s nose. “I don’t know where I’m supposed to go for my assessment.” 

“Oh.” Beatrice’s cheeks grew impossibly red. “I’m meant to take you, actually. Doctor Sarte recommended that you have a familiar presence waiting outside.” 

“I… Hmmm…” Ava didn’t know what to make of that. “That’s embarrassing. Why?” 

“I don’t think that’s embarrassing.” Beatrice replied in a whisper. “You’ve been through a lot. More than a lot. If you need a friend by your side, that’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

“And you want to be that friend?” Ava’s voice trembled as she spoke. 

“I mean… Maybe more than  _ just  _ a friend.” 

“Interesting…” Ava’s grin grew wide and both women couldn’t help but laugh.

\-----

_ An hour later, Training Room at OCSF Headquarters _

“Alright.” Beatrice zipped up the collar of Ava’s new OCSF uniform with gentler movements than were strictly necessary. “The simulation is programmed to try and target your weaknesses. Be cognisant of that, okay?”

“Okay…” Ava mumbled, more focused on Beatrice’s presence than her instructions.

“And be careful.” 

“They’re holograms, they can’t hurt me.” Ava replied as she turned towards the door. 

“Actually, our tech is advanced enough that the simulation is tactile. But I’m more worried about you hurting yourself.” Beatrice hated how worried she sounded, but she couldn’t help it.

“Oh. Okay. Alright.” Ava shook her head. “I’m ready.”

“Good luck.” Beatrice keyed in a series of commands and the door to the simulation chamber opened. 

Inside, the absolutely massive room was stark white, a template for projections. Its similarity to the black site prison made Ava squirm. Maybe this is what Doctor Sarte was concerned about? Frustrated, Ava shook her head. She needed to focus.

“Are you ready?” Beatrice’s voice echoed from the room’s speakers.

“Yes.” Ava answered immediately. 

A moment later, the room began to change. Thick plants covered the floor and walls, and the sound of ambient wildlife filled her ears. Whatever tech this room used, it was significantly more realistic than anything Ava had seen during her training at CAS. For a moment, she couldn’t identify the threat, until the sound of crunching footsteps became more clear. Thinking quickly, Ava ducked behind one of the trees, hoping to get a read on her enemy before she initiated combat. 

Four Council officers stood in the small clearing, each one wearing the standard issue armour. The simulation was so realistic that she could even see the sweat on their faces through the helmet visors. They seemed to be talking for a moment, before breaking apart again to search. For her, Ava realised with a start. 

Desperately, she tried to think about her weakness. She could be rash sometimes, or impulsive. Doubly so in combat. If Ava wanted to beat Beatrice’s score, she would have to be smart and think everything through. Unfortunately, a soldier was headed right for her hiding spot, and she didn’t have time to think too much. Instead, Ava hooked his leg, bringing him down in an instant. 

Before he could shout out and alert the other troops, Ava yanked his helmet off and threw a fist across his face, knocking him out cold. With a deep breath, Ava moved to take a step back, while searching for the remaining soldiers. At first she didn’t see anyone, but then a telltale crunch of a stick alerted her to their presence. Behind her. 

Quickly, Ava turned around, careful to stay as silent as possible. It was too late though, she’d been seen.

“Fuck.” Ava whispered, rising into a fighting stance. She had only a second or two before the first soldier reached her, and likely only a few more before the rest converged on her position. Thus, speed became her only option.

The closest officer raised a fist as he charged, which Ava ducked beneath at the last moment. Nimbly, she caught his wrist, and forced her other hand through his elbow. Even in the simulation, the cracking of the joint seemed a little too real. Still, he fell to the ground in agony, just as the remaining troops arrived.

They were coming from both sides, so Ava took a few running steps towards the one on the left, sliding across the ground at the last possible second. She caught his legs, making him trip over her small form. With surprising grace, Ava flipped up from the ground, taking the last soldier with more traditional hand to hand combat. For a few seconds they traded blows, before Ava managed to land a heavy chop across his neck, just beneath his helmet. 

Just as suddenly as it materialised, the troops and the natural surroundings dissolved back into the stark white of the simulation room. Even knowing it was coming, Ava still flinched, still felt uncontrollably panicked. 

“Good job.” Beatrice told her through the speakers. 

“Thank you.” Ava whispered, trying to keep her heart rate under control.

“Do you want to take a break before your stress test?” Beatrice asked. Even through the sound system, Beatrice’s concern could not be understated. Instead of immediately replying, Ava closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

“No. I’m okay. I’m ready.” 

“Alright…” 

A split second later, the room erupted in flames, burning structures amongst a vast desert. It reminded Ava of Firebend so harshly, that she physically recoiled at the sight. Then, she threw a slap across her own face. Hard. 

“Focus, Ava. Focus.” Once she adjusted to flaming surroundings, Ava saw a small ship in the distance, on the other side of the burning wreckage. Clearly, that was the final objective. 

Without wasting another second, Ava began running, only to stop a moment later. There were civilians trapped amongst the wreckage and some of them were clearly still alive.

“Oh,  _ fuck. _ ” Ava wiped the sweat from her face with shaky hands, before running towards one of the half collapsed structures. In her panic, she tried to lift one of the fallen walls, but she was nowhere near strong enough.

Thinking quickly, she pulled a thick piece of metal from a nearby pile of rubble, using it as a lever to pry open the ruined door. Four civilians ran from the burning building, only moments before it completely collapsed. Taking care to look out for others, Ava continued her pilgrimage to the ship, only to stop once more. 

A young man laid prone outside a ruined house, injured but clearly alive. Ava flipped him over, checking for vital signs, even as the fire and heat grew closer. She could barely feel his pulse over her own pounding heartbeat, but eventually she found it. Using every ounce of strength she had, Ava half carried and half dragged him towards the ship; and away from a fiery death. 

Immediately upon reaching the ship, the scene fell apart with an electric beep. Sweaty, shaky, and panicked, Ava slid to the floor. She felt weak and this was too much like Firebend. Or what Firebend should have been. Tears fell from her face as she curled into a ball, trying and failing to keep calm. 

“Ava?” The door slid open, revealing a clearly worried Beatrice. She ran across the room without a hint of her usual decorum. “Ava?” She repeated, much softer, as she knelt beside Ava in the corner of the huge room. Beatrice still didn’t get a reply, but she wrapped an arm around Ava and sat beside her. 

“Beatrice?” Ava breathed, looked up after a few minutes. Her eyes were rimmed with red and still wet from her tears.

“I’m here, I’m here.” Beatrice held Ava close. She hated to see her like this, but Beatrice was also glad that she could finally be there for Ava. 

“Sorry, I’m sorry. I thought I could handle it.” 

“It’s okay.” Beatrice pulled Ava a little closer. “You did well.”

“Really?” Ava met Beatrice’s fretful gaze. “I feel like I definitely failed.”

“Actually…” Beatrice allowed herself a small smile, for Ava’s sake more than her own. “You scored a perfect twenty five.” 

“Hmm…” Ava couldn’t help but return Beatrice’s grin. “Are you worried I might come for your score?” 

“No, that doesn’t matter to me.” Beatrice stood and all but lifted Ava with her. “Come on, let’s get out of here.” 

“No arguments there. This place is too much like prison.” 

“I… Okay.” Beatrice silently led Ava from the room. She was unable to keep herself from wondering about Ava’s time at the black site; dark thought after dark thought.

Outside the simulation room, Ava sat down beside the control desk, trying to calm the continued shaking in her limbs. Meanwhile, Beatrice typed a few commands into the console. 

“You scored a twenty three on the combat module and a twenty five on the stress test.” Beatrice reported, pulling the results up on screen. “That brings you to forty eight. Not bad.” 

“I’m amazing, I know.” Ava’s laugh was weak.

“Ava, you don’t have to pretend you’re alright.” Beatrice replied, while crossing the room to sit beside Ava. “The modules are randomly generated. Had I known it was going to be…  _ That,  _ I would have overridden the system.”

“You can’t always protect me, Beatrice.” Ava muttered, still thinking of Doctor Sarte’s words despite her continued efforts not to.

“You think I don’t know that?” Beatrice’s voice cracked. “You think I don’t know that I have continuously failed to keep you safe? I’ve been watching you get hurt and caught in dangerous situations for nearly  _ two years _ !” 

“I -”

“I would have given  _ anything  _ to have been by your side. Every night I spent without you, I laid in bed  _ sick  _ with worry about where you were. I felt so powerless, completely unable to protect one of the few people I care about.” 

“I’m sorry!” Ava stood, taking a few steps away from the bench, desperate to put a bit of distance between herself and Beatrice. “It makes me so  _ angry  _ to think about what you must have gone through, I can’t even imagine.” Neither of them were mad at each other, but the frustrated and messy outpouring of emotions occurred all the same. 

“What I’ve been through is nothing compared to how you’ve suffered.” Beatrice whispered, her face ashen as she watched Ava.

“Stop. Just, stop.” Fresh tears rolled down Ava’s cheeks. “I can’t… I just… Can’t.” Her shoulders shook in frustrated emotion.

“Please, Ava -” Beatrice stood as she rose, but Ava interrupted her. 

“I was  _ dead,  _ Beatrice!” Ava’s words tone in pitch. “I  _ died. _ ” 

“How…? What…?” Beatrice choked, barely able to hear her own voice over the pounding in her ears. 

“I don’t know. I only just found out today.” Ava paced angrily for a minute before continuing. “So, no, Beatrice. You’ve suffered more than I ever could. Because if I thought you were  _ dead,  _ even for a moment, I would have lost myself completely.”    
“I don’t…” Once again, Beatrice found herself unable to complete her sentence. The room was spinning around her and Ava’s words barely made sense.

“And the worst part?” Ava’s face was flushed and tears continued to dampen the collar of her uniform. “Is knowing how much pain I’ve caused you because of my incompetence!” She was on the edge of the shout as she nervously paced around the small room, while Beatrice stood completely still - in shock. “Everyone I go, people call me a  _ fucking  _ hero, and for what? Getting an entire settlement killed? Putting you and Cam through years of emotional pain? Hiding like a coward for month after month after month?” 

“You were dead.” Beatrice breathed, unable to hear anything else that Ava was saying. She felt cold and sick.

“Yes.” Ava stopped pacing and stood a few feet away from Beatrice, though she still shook like a leaf.

“I don’t understand.” 

“You’ll have to ask Doctor Sarte for a better explanation.” Ava turned and looked at her reflection in the monitor. “I don’t understand anything that’s going on around here, even the things that involve me.” She sighed. Ava wasn’t angry with Beatrice. Only herself and this situation. After so long, she’d finally found what she was looking for, but it wasn’t as seamless of a transition as she might have hoped.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t save you.” Beatrice replied in a ragged whisper after a few minutes of agonising silence between them.

“You did.” Ava didn’t turn around, she couldn’t bear to see the pain on Beatrice’s face.

“Not soon enough, it seems.” 

“I’m here now, isn’t that what matters?” Ava knew it sounded hollow, but she wasn’t sure of what else to say. After what happened in Firebend, Ava thought she had reached the limit of guilt that she was able to feel at one time. Clearly, that was not the case. 

“I’ve mourned for you and I’ve hoped for you.” Beatrice mumbled in a tiny voice. “Every tiny scrap of footage of you, I watched a thousand times over. I plotted maps and made predictions, I stayed up all night crying for you. But you were still alone. I’m sorry.” 

“You have nothing to apologise for. If it weren’t for you, I’d be losing my mind in a Council black site right now.” Ava paused. “No, if it weren’t for you I’d probably just be dead. But, for real.” 

“How can you say it like that?” From seemingly nowhere, Beatrice’s frustration resurfaced. “This isn’t something to be so blasé about, Ava!” 

“I just don’t want you to feel guilty, okay?” Ava looked down at her hands, as if they contained the solution to all her problems. They did not. “You’ve done nothing wrong, I don’t understand why you feel so responsible for everything that’s happened.” 

“You really don’t understand?” Beatrice’s tone turned from anger to curiosity and Ava slowly moved to face her.

“No?” 

“I’m in  _ love  _ with you, Ava.” Beatrice admitted quietly. “I have been for a long time.” For several seconds, which seemed to stretch into hours, the pair only stared at each other. 

“I’m… I’m… In love… With you, too.” Ava managed to choke, a moment before Beatrice crashed into her. Within an instant, Ava was sobbing into Beatrice’s shoulder, a cathartic release after the not-argument between them. “And I’m sorry.” Ava mumbled a minute later between her tears. 

“I’m sorry.” Beatrice whispered, holding Ava as tightly as she could.

“No, I’m sorry.” Ava argued, before looking up at Beatrice’s teary face. “I shouldn’t have blown up on you like that and I  _ definitely  _ could have delivered the news with a little more… Tact.” 

“While that’s probably true, I don’t blame you.” Gently, reverently, Beatrice pressed a kiss to Ava’s forehead. “Even before everything, you were never the most tactful woman.” 

“Hm… That’s likely true.” 

“ _ God,  _ I still can’t believe it.” Beatrice felt cold against and shivered in Ava’s arms. 

“Me neither… It makes me so  _ fucking  _ angry.” Ava muttered.

“Angry?” Like Doctor Sarte, Beatrice was surprised by this response.

“Yes!” She spoke in a heated murmur from within Beatrice’s embrace. “The Council has spent millions of credits to kill me, then keep me alive, and probably will try to kill us all again before this is over. They have the technology to cheat death and yet people in the colonies die of easily preventable causes all the time! That’s sickening!” 

“That’s…” Beatrice stopped herself. It was obvious that Ava was more upset about the greater implications than her personal well being. Meanwhile, Beatrice found herself almost exclusively focused on Ava’s own life - or lack thereof. In Beatrice’s mind, this only reaffirmed Ava’s greatness and her genuinely heroic selflessness. “Not exactly what I expected you to say.” 

“Well, I’m full of surprises.” Ava muttered, trying to lighten the inescapably heavy mood.

“That you are.” Beatrice mumbled before kissing Ava again, more seriously this time. “ _ God,  _ I love you. And I was so close to never getting to tell you.” She added once they broke apart, breathless.

“I love you.” Ava echoed, meeting Beatrice’s eyes with shocking intensity. “It seems even galaxies can’t keep us apart.”


	18. Weepy Lovefest '91

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ava finishes her assessment and some conversations are had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok sorry this took a bit, i have other projects im working on rn

_ Winter 2191, Solis 4, OCSF Headquarters _

“Am I inter -” Mary stopped in the doorway. Ava and Beatrice were still clinging to one another and crying. “Are you two okay?” 

“Beatrice  _ loves  _ me.” Ava whispered to Mary, with wide eyes and a huge smile. 

“Yeah, no shit.” Mary laughed. 

“Ava!” Beatrice half-heartedly chastised her before turning to Mary. “What are you doing here?” 

“I finished prepping the strike teams and I wanted to come see how our newest addition was getting along.” Mary patted Ava on the shoulder, in a rather maternal fashion. “Had I known I was going to be interrupting weepy lovefest ‘91, I might have thought twice about it.” 

“Sorry, Mary, that’s my bad.” Ava grew suddenly serious and apologised.

“No, it’s not. We’re all fine now, really.” Beatrice placed a gentle hand on Ava’s back. “Are you ready to go down to the firing range?” 

“Yes, I’ve got a score to beat.” 

“What are you at so far?” Mary was undoubtedly curious. After hearing about Ava’s exploits for months, everyone at the OCSF was. 

“Forty eight.” Beatrice answered before Ava could. 

“Wow. Maybe you’ve got the stones after all.” Mary laughed and Ava couldn’t help but smile. 

In the firing range, there was a huge array of weapons, laid out and ready for the choosing. Ava stood in front of the table, clearly overwhelmed with the amount of choices. There were basic plasma guns, completely tricked out ion blasters, and everything in between. Eventually, Ava settled on a reliable choice, the trusty laser pistol.

“Boring choice.” Mary muttered under her breath. She’d personally built most of the armoury, having procured a massive selection of weapons from sources across the galaxy. Even with a powerful weapon built into her arm, Mary had a penchant for exotic and powerful guns. 

“I know, I know.” Ava acquiesced, while spinning the laser pistol around her finger. “But I want to get a good score, and this is what I shoot best.” 

“Are you ready?” Beatrice asked from behind the console. Her face was pensive, drawn despite the tears that lingered in her eyes. After what Ava told her, and their subsequent argument, which was then followed by an admission of love… Well, that was a lot. 

“I suppose.” Replied Ava, with a grin that didn’t reach her eyes. She was less nervous for this part of the assessment than the rest, since the futuristic firing range wasn’t nearly as traumatising as the stress test had been. But, like Beatrice, she was still thinking about their earlier conversation.

“It’s twenty five shots total, each one is a point.” Mary explained as Beatrice queued up the program. “The first ten are stationary, then they start moving.” 

“Anything else I should know?” Ava wondered as she loaded her pistol and prepared to fire. 

“Don’t miss.” 

“Wow. Thank you.” Ava laughed, genuinely. “Okay, Beatrice, I’m ready.” 

A moment later, ten humanoid targets flipped up from the floor, some of which had blackened blast marks across their torsos. As Mary had promised, they were completely still, positioned in a loose line some forty yards away. Ava took a deep breath before firing ten shots in quick succession, each of which finding their target with ease. It would have been embarrassing to fail during this section, since all first-year CAS recruits had to pass a similar assessment. 

The next ten targets rose a moment later, slightly farther away, and moving side to side. Just as before, Ava steadied herself with a deep breath, taking quick and accurate shots. With twenty shots down, the final targets popped up. These moved with impressive speed, faster than Ava thought a person could actually run. Not only that, but their movements were erratic, unlike most humans. 

Ava tried her best, but she only made three of the last five shots. Setting down her warm pistol with a sigh, she turned back towards her friends. 

“I know, I know. Not great.” 

“I mean, a twenty three is really good.” Mary smiled. “I’m the only one who did better than that, but I have an unfair advantage.” 

“If you get a twenty four or better on the written assessment you’ll beat my score.” Beatrice reported.

“Does that worry you?” Ava asked, somewhat playful as she took a few steps closer to Beatrice. 

“No.” Beatrice smirked, slightly, and kept her gaze intently fixed on Ava. “I’ve already told you that it doesn’t.” 

“You used to be competitive, what happened?” Ava wondered, though Beatrice only gave her an odd look in reply. A look which clearly said,  _ we’ll talk about this later. _ “Alright, understood.” Ava mumbled, while Mary laughed. 

“You two are surprisingly awkward.” 

“I think I have a fair excuse.” Ava countered but she wasn’t upset. Mary was right. “I haven’t had a lot of interaction recently. I think I’ve forgotten how to socialise.” 

Mary opened her mouth to reply, but the building’s intercom beeped before interrupting her. “Mary, please report to the docking bay. I have an issue that I need your help on.” Camila’s voice echoed through the room. 

“Well, duty calls.” Mary said as she retreated from the firing range. “But I like you, Ava. You’re different than I expected you to be, but you’re a good one!” 

“What does that  _ mean _ ?” Ava asked, though Mary was already out of earshot. “A good what?” 

“It’s a compliment. That’s what matters.” Beatrice was both happy and nervous to be alone with Ava again. “And Mary doesn’t always get along with others, so it’s definitely a good thing.” 

“That’s nice…” Ava laid the laser pistol back on the table. It was clear she was just as distracted as Beatrice.

“Ava…” Concern bled into Beatrice’s tone. 

“Hm?” Ava looked back up at her, with new tears in her eyes. 

“Can we talk later?” Beatrice requested, before pulling Ava into yet another hug. “I wish we had the luxury of a full discussion now, but you have an assessment to finish, and I imagine we’ll have another briefing tonight.” 

“You sound as overwhelmed as I feel.” Ava whispered into Beatrice’s chest, grateful for the extended contact between them.

“I can’t even imagine how you feel.” Beatrice breathed. “But between… Everything… It’s a lot.” 

“I know.”

“But enough of this, for now.” Beatrice pulled herself away from Ava, though it pained her to do so. “You’ve got a test to take.” 

“Ugh!” Ava threw her hands up in sarcastic frustration. “I thought you loved me, Beatrice, but that is clearly not the case.” 

“It’s just a written test.” Beatrice sighed as she led Ava into an adjacent classroom. It was here that new recruits were given briefings and lessons. “We had to do them all the time in CAS.” 

“Yes, I know.” Ava pouted. “That’s why I’m upset.” 

“I promise it’s not that bad.” Beatrice told her as she pulled up the exam on one of the room’s terminals. 

“Two things. Firstly, can you print it out for me? If you wait for me to type all my answers we’re going to be here all day.” 

“Yes. What’s the second thing?” 

“Will you stay?” 

“Yes, Ava, of course. I wasn’t planning on going anywhere.” Beatrice smiled gently, relieved that Ava felt comfortable enough to ask for what she truly wanted. 

“Thank you.” Mumbled Ava as Beatrice passed her a thin packet of papers, plus a pen. “Did you get a perfect score when you took this?” 

Beatrice didn’t answer, so Ava continued. “I’m going to take that as a yes.” She breathed, before turning her attention to the exam. After the practicality of the earlier parts, this felt odd. Alien, even. What use would this be in the field? With a frustrated breath, Ava tried to refocus. This  _ wasn’t  _ CAS. Not even close. The missions run by the OCSF were clearly more than just shooting and fighting. Strategy mattered, especially when going up against such a powerful enemy. 

Questions about colony locations and production were easy enough to answer, though Ava couldn’t help but wonder if the information in her head was correct. There were two reasons for this. Firstly, she wasn’t entirely sure if what she had learned in CAS was even accurate, as their teachings had already proven to be poisoned by propaganda. Secondly, Ava wasn’t always confident that her mind could be trusted. Not after everything.

“Focus, Ava.” Beatrice whispered, as if she could sense that Ava’s mind had been wandering completely. With a start, Ava looked back down at the exam, and continued to work through the questions. Some of it was basic, just questions about protocols and safety. It was only the last section that gave her trouble. Increasingly complex scenarios were explained, with only a blank space provided for a written answer. 

“Okay.” Ava announced, after nearly an hour. “I’ve finished.”

“And I’m sure you did well.” Beatrice encouraged, as she slid Ava’s exam back into the scanner to be graded. “Hmm…”

“What?” Ava was at her side in a moment. “Oh, no!” 

“Ava, this is a good score!” On the screen, a bright final score flashed.  _ 94\.  _

  
“No! I didn’t beat you!” Ava wailed, dramatic for no reason.

“You’re impossible.” Beatrice couldn’t help but laugh, Ava had always brought that out in her. 

“Can I take it again?” Ava asked in jest. In truth, she had absolutely no desire to ever return to the hologram room. 

“Oh my  _ God. _ ” Beatrice replied, with her face in her hands. “Come on, let’s go get dinner.” 

After dinner, the team was called into Superion’s office for a briefing. “Ava, did you pass your combat assessment?” Superion inquired, while the six of them took their seats in her office. 

“Yes.” Ava nodded. She was, even after all that she had faced, intimidated by Superion. 

“Well?” Camila raised an eyebrow. “Don’t keep us in suspense! What was your final score?” She wondered. It was clear that Camila hadn’t had time to shower before the meeting, as her cheek had a streak of motor oil across it.

“A ninety four…” Superion announced before anyone else could speak; it was clear she’d just pulled up Ava’s report on her holopad. “Impressive work. Seems we were worried for nothing.” 

“Does that mean I get to go on the next mission?” Ava couldn’t help but ask - she didn’t want to be left behind.

“Yes.” Superion answered definitively, while Beatrice stiffened beside Ava. 

It wasn’t that Beatrice  _ didn’t  _ want Ava to come, because she did. After their time apart, Beatrice couldn’t cope with spending days away from Ava. But Beatrice was still worried about her, despite her combat assessment score. 

“Thank you.” Ava breathed, not wanting to interrupt more than she already had. Superion only gave her a short nod before diving into their briefing. 

“I thought we had a little more time, but that is clearly not the case. Council and colonist relations in Myre’s Pass are deteriorating rapidly, faster than our data suggested it would.”

“So we need a plan, quickly, or we risk significant loss of life.” Lilith added grimly. She’d spent the entire afternoon going over the reports. None of which were anything short of damning. 

“If we interfere too strongly, it would be a move akin to declaring open war on the Council.” Posited Beatrice, with a thoughtful expression on her face. 

“And not interfering enough, or at all, essentially damns the colony.” Shannon muttered, looking both frustrated and sad at the reality of it.

“If my time in prison is anything to go by, the Council is already acting like it’s at war with the OCSF.” Ava mumbled, still feeling slightly out of place.

“That’s true…” Mary hummed, though she didn’t continue.

“We should attack. Outright.” Lilith suggested. “I know it’s earlier than we projected, significantly so, but we can’t keep dodging around the issue.” 

“No.” Ava’s refusal was surprisingly firm. “There’s innocent people living there. The moment we leave, we would be condemning them to death.” 

“Ava brings up a fair point…” Beatrice closed her eyes for a moment, imagining the footage from their ill-fated attempt to meet at the bridge on Cyclon. The Council had used Ava’s humanity against her and they’d likely use it against the OCSF. “The Council knows that we care about settlements, unlike them. They are almost definitely going to use that against us, by forcing us into horribly disadvantageous engagements.” 

“Please,  _ please,  _ tell me you’re not suggesting that we just stop caring about people.” There were tears in Ava’s eyes, again, which surprised both Beatrice and Camila. Neither of them remembered Ava being so emotional, but given everything she’d been through…

“I’m not suggesting that.” Beatrice replied hoarsely. “But it’s something we need to be aware of if we plan on creating a counter strategy.” 

“The settlers in Myre’s Edge seemed more or less eager to fight when we were there.” Lilith reminded the group. “We could leverage their enthusiasm. Or at least, give them a choice.”

“That could work, potentially…” Shannon mused. “Though we’d have to secure a weapons supplier, if we are to keep arming settlements.” 

“Our desire to protect colonies is collateral that the Council can use against us.” Superion finally rejoined the conversation. “But what if we had collateral to use against the Council?”

“What are you suggesting?” Camila asked carefully. 

“It wouldn’t be relevant just yet… But you might need to pay a visit to the twins.” Superion announced. The twins were not, as one might expect, a pair of siblings. Rather, they were two neighbouring planets,  _ Aurum  _ and  _ Postestas.  _ Futuristic and wealthy settlements on these planets housed the galaxy’s most elite, including members of both the Council and the board. 

“Oh, no…” Beatrice whispered. Her parents lived there, as did Lilith’s. This mission already had the potential to get way more personal than she wanted. 

“Agreed.” Lilith mouthed immediately after.

“Superion, I know you have faith in us, but kidnapping members of the elite…” Mary’s worry was clearly written across her face. “That’s a big ask.” 

“I know.” Superion sighed and leaned back in her chair, obviously stressed. “But I’ll begin sorting out the details. First, you all need to sort out the Myre’s Pass tension. Though I’d like to wait a little longer, I’m sending you out tomorrow. Try to minimise casualties. Please.” Not for the first time, Ava was struck with how much different the OCSF was from CAS. In the army, she would have been ordered to shoot first, and ask questions later. Or, just not ask questions at all. 

Later, in Beatrice’s room, Ava told her the same thing. “I know.” Beatrice had nodded thoughtfully. “I thought the same thing when I first got here. It’s such a nice change.” She shook her head. “No, it’s so much more than that.” 

“I understand.” Ava replied quietly, from her perch at the corner of the bed. Beatrice was on the other side, leaning up against the wall. As always, her dark eyes were fixed on Ava. 

“We have a lot to talk about.” Beatrice whispered after several minutes of loaded silence between them. “It almost feels like too much.” 

“I get what you mean.” Ava flashed her a half-hearted grin. “And I didn’t even get assigned a room.” 

“Ava!” Beatrice jumped up in an instant, with nervous panic written all over her face. “I just - I thought - I mean - I -” 

“I’m messing with you.” Ava smiled, unable to contain it. Beatrice didn’t get flustered often, but when she did, Ava thought it was the absolute cutest. 

“Oh.” Beatrice’s cheeks had gone pink and she sat back down, slightly closer to Ava this time. 

“Camila gave me a talking to this morning. About you. Or… About us?” 

“She certainly has a lot of thoughts on the subject.” 

“So I’m gathering…” Ava mumbled wrly, before continuing with unmistakable sincerity in her words. “Beatrice, I had imaginary conversations with you nearly every day while I was gone. Sometimes in my head, sometimes out loud. Yet now, being in your presence, I am surprisingly… Nervous. Still. After everything.” 

“I feel the exact same.”

“Doctor Sarte said that, after everything… She said that I might not be able to keep control of my emotions as well as I’d like to. For a while, at least.” Ava admitted. “Which explains earlier… But I guess what I’m asking is, can you handle that?” 

“Of course I can!” Beatrice was almost offended that Ava would even ask, yet simultaneously touched that Ava would confide in her about something so personal.

“Really?” 

“Yes!” Reinforced Beatrice, knowing full well that she’d remind Ava a dozen more times if she needed to. 

“Okay. Okay.” Ava sighed heavily, content. “Still, I’m sorry about earlier. I shouldn’t have told you like  _ that. _ ” 

“Perhaps not, but what’s done is done.” Beatrice shuddered, thinking of Ava being dead made her sick to think about. Upon sensing Beatrice’s discomfort, Ava crept closer, leaning against the wall beside her. “Are you going to tell the others?” 

“I suppose? I don’t know, I hadn’t really thought about it.” 

“Sorry, maybe that was a bit forward to ask. I’m sorry.” 

“Beatrice. It’s not. Really.” Gently, Ava rested her head on Beatrice’s shoulder. “I know it goes without saying, but I missed you.”

“I missed you too.” Mumbled Beatrice as she slowly slid her fingers between Ava’s. It was a simple movement, but the peace it brought her was indescribable. 

“I’m sorry I fell for the trap that ended up killing me. It was stupid.” 

“Surely you’re not being serious?!” Beatrice’s voice raised in pitch before she could stop it. 

“I am.” Ava muttered. The self-loathing was clear in her words. 

“Ava, you thought someone was drowning and you dove off a bridge to save them. In freezing water! And you  _ hate  _ water! We hadn’t seen each other in so long, yet you still risked… And lost, actually… The consequences make me sick, but I’ve always thought your selflessness was beautiful.” Beatrice replied while fresh tears ran down her cheeks. 

“Really?” Ava looked up and met Beatrice’s eyes. 

“Yes!  _ Jesus,  _ do you -” Beatrice was interrupted by Ava’s lips crashing into her own. The movement was clumsy, desperate and undisciplined - completely unlike either woman. Yet, somehow it was fitting. Their emotions were so worn down, rough jagged edges, a perfect representation of the physical contact between them. For right now, that would have to be enough.


	19. Here To Help

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team travels to Myre's Pass and Camila asks an incendiary question.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sapphic senpai requested another chapter, so here you go

Early the next morning, the six of them ate breakfast aboard the Crusader. Much to Beatrice’s delight, Ava ate an entire meal, alongside the various supplements that Dr. Sarte had prescribed. 

“So, I have an announcement to make.” Ava began, stone faced.

“Oh, no.” Beatrice whispered. 

“Is it about your undying love for Beatrice?” Mary asked at the same time.

“No.” Ava shook her head, and everyone seemed to grasp how serious the topic was about to become. “Umm… So… Long story short, I was dead. Now I’m not.” 

“I’m sorry, you were _what?_ ” Camila stared at Ava in disbelief. 

“How is that possible?” Shannon wondered quietly.

“I don’t know.” Ava shook her head. “That’s just what the doctor said.”

“We’ve known that the Council has access to this type of tech…” Camila could _almost_ forget her friend’s death if she focused on the technological side of things. “In theory at least. Now we have confirmation.”

“Why did you decide to tell us this?” Inquired Lilith, with a completely unreadable expression. 

“Umm…” Ava paused, this was more uncomfortable than she had anticipated. “I mean, the joke potential alone is worth it.” 

“Ava…” Beatrice’s voice was terse. Strangled. 

“Sorry, sorry.” Ava apologised quickly. “I just thought it was pertinent information worth sharing, in the pursuit of transparency - if nothing else. Plus, if you need any more motivation that the Council is evil, then there you go. They spent millions trying to have me killed, only to bring me back to life on the scant possibility that I might be useful.” 

“I’m not sure anyone needed more motivation.” Mary muttered. 

“Yeah, I know.” Ava sighed.

“How do you _feel_ though?” Camila asked, unable to suppress her innate curiosity. “Have you remembered anything else?”

“All things considered, I feel good.” Ava shrugged. “Since you rescued me from prison I feel a thousand times better, but I haven’t remembered anything. I’m sorry.” 

“You have nothing to apologise for.” Beatrice told her, with a gentle hand on Ava’s back. She felt so overprotective towards Ava, but she couldn’t seem to repress it. 

“Agreed.” Shannon nodded. “As long as you’re okay, then I don’t see how this changes anything.” 

“Unless…” Camila began, but quickly trailed off as everyone turned towards her. 

“You can’t just say something like that and not finish your sentence.” Mary chastised.

“Sorry! I just…” Camila shook her head. “Ava, I’m sorry if this sounds a bit callous. But, if you were the Council, and you had your most wanted criminal in catatonic captivity… _And_ you had the most advanced technology man has ever created… Who’s to say you wouldn’t make changes?” 

“Would Doctor Sarte’s scanner not have picked that up?” Ava wondered, trying and failing not to betray her own nervousness.

“No, it would. In theory.” Camila didn’t seem convinced and Ava could feel her heartbeat accelerating. 

“In theory…” Ava repeated in a murmur, before running from the room. 

“Fuck.” Mary put her head in her hands for a moment. “I don’t disagree with your reasoning, Camila, genuinely. But that was surprisingly… Without tact.” 

“I’m sorry.” Camila had tears in her eyes. “I wasn’t trying to upset her, really.” 

“It would be stupid to ignore the possibilities.” Lilith was trying to be objective, but it was exceedingly difficult. “I can’t even imagine how Ava feels.”

“If the rare earth scanner couldn’t pick up any changes, how would we detect them?” Beatrice asked in a whisper. She was planning on going after Ava in a moment, but she needed answers. 

“Ermm…” Camila was hesitant. “There are a few options, though none of them are ideal.” 

“Go on.” Shannon instructed tersely. 

“Well, there is potentially a file on it somewhere. Probably somewhere well-guarded and dangerous.” She explained. “Or if we get more information about the Council’s classified medical tech I could try to reverse engineer something.” 

“Realistically, what are the chances of whatever you’re suggesting?” Mary needed to know if this was just a theory, or a real possibility.

“I mean, I can’t give you a numeric probability - not with the limited information I have. There’s a definite non-zero chance, though I desperately wish there wasn’t.” Camila took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment, clearly in thought. “Lilith, do you think you could tap a few of your contacts for information?” 

“Yes, of course.” Lilith agreed in an instant.

While the conversation continued in the kitchen, Ava found herself pacing around in the ship bathroom. She was trying, and failing, to smother the panic that was rising in her chest. Shakily, she splashed some water on her face, before looking up into the mirror. Logically, Ava knew Camila was only being realistic, but that’s what scared her. Would she feel it if something was wrong? What did all of this mean? How could -

“Ava?” Beatrice opened the door, to find a sick-looking Ava staring at herself in the mirror. Without speaking, Beatrice took Ava in her arms, holding her as tightly as possible. Almost at once, Ava started sobbing; her tears soaking heavily into Beatrice’s shoulder. 

“I didn’t mean to run away.” Ava mumbled after a few minutes. “I just… I don’t know. I hope Camila’s not angry with me.” 

“No one is angry at you.” Beatrice was nothing but reassuring. “It’s going to be okay, I promise.”

“You can’t promise that.” Ava shuddered. “There might be something wrong in my brain now, or… I don’t know. And it could… And I…” She started crying again. “I’m scared.” 

“I know.” Beatrice wound her hand through Ava’s hair. “I’d be worried if you weren’t… And I am too. But I promise you, with everything that I am, I’ll do everything in my power to keep you safe.” 

“Everything?” Ava asked as her teary eyes met Beatrice’s. 

“Yes.” 

“That might be more difficult a promise to keep than you realise.” Ava took a deep, shuddery breath. “If what Camila says is true, there might be some hard decisions in our future.” 

“Our?” Beatrice knew that it wasn’t the part of the sentence she _should_ be focused on, but she couldn’t help it. 

A small smile crept across Ava’s lips. “Yes. Our.” She pressed a kiss to each of Beatrice’s cheeks. “No matter what, you’re stuck with me now.” 

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” A tear fell from Beatrice’s cheek onto the tile floor as she spoke. “And if there’s hard decisions in our future, I’ll be by your side to make them. I just… I wish I could have found you earlier… Or at least saved you on Cyclon.” 

“Oh?” Perhaps for the first time, Ava was realising just how guilty Beatrice felt. It was all she could do to choke out a single syllable.   
“Just…” Beatrice sighed heavily. “Just know that I’m here. No matter what. I love you.” 

“I love you, too.” 

Camila met them in the hallway, with an unmistakably nervous expression on her face. “Ava, can I have a word?” 

“Yeah, of course.” Ava composed herself and wiped the remaining tears from her face. 

“Alone.” Camila added, with a glance in Beatrice’s direction. 

“Okay, okay.” Beatrice held up her hands. “I’ll be in my room if you need me.” 

“I just wanted to apologise.” Camila whispered once Beatrice was out of earshot. “I wasn’t trying to upset you earlier, genuinely, I just didn’t want to dismiss the possibility. I can’t even imagine what you must be going through, and all I did was make that worse, so I’m sorry.” 

“I’m not angry at you.” Ava replied genuinely. “Everything has been… Overwhelming, to say the least. But I don’t want anyone to coddle me.” 

“Understood.” Camila nodded empathetically. “Still, coddling aside, I should have had more tact. Focusing on the technological side of this makes it easier to cope with the fact that you… Died.” She delivered the last word in a hollow voice. 

“I’m sorry.” 

“Ava!” Camila hugged her tightly. “You don’t have anything to apologise for! I’m trying to apologise to you!” 

“Two people can _both_ apologise.” Ava retorted, joking only to cover the heavy emotions that welled in her chest. 

“Can, but shouldn’t.” Camila laughed despite the tears in her eyes. “I’m sorry again, but _God,_ am I happy to have you back.” 

“I’m happy to be back.” 

“And I promise we will try to help you, no matter what that looks like, okay?” Camila promised enthusiastically. 

“It’s weird… Having so many people willing to help me after being alone for so long.” 

“I can’t even imagine.” 

“I…” Ava took a deep breath to steady her thoughts. “I’m really lucky I had people looking for me.” She grinned but it was hollow. “But enough emotions, now, we’ll be at Myre’s Pass in a few hours.” 

“Oh! I know!” Camila looked down at her watch. “There’s a briefing in three hours, just so you know.” 

“Thank you.” Ava already knew this, but appreciated the reminder nonetheless. When they were in CAS together, Ava missed more than her fair share of meetings. 

“Mhm.” Camila nodded. “Okay, well I’m sorry again. I’ll be down in the workshop if you need anything or if you want to help me re-ionise some prototype weapons.” 

“I think I’ll pass.” Replied Ava, as her smile grew more genuine. “Somehow, that sounds both boring _and_ dangerous.” 

“Your loss.” Camila called as she headed towards the stairs. 

“I’m really torn up about it!” Ava got the last word in, and she heard Camila’s laugh echo up from the stairwell. 

Not knowing where else to go, Ava retreated to Beatrice’s room, where she found the woman in question sitting at the desk. Cool light from the terminal bathed her face in blue and Ava found herself rendered silent, in awe of both Beatrice’s beauty and intelligence.

“Why are you staring at me?” Beatrice asked, after several minutes of silence between them. 

“Sorry.” Ava shook her head. “Despite everything going on, both in my head and outside of it, you’re still extremely distracting.” 

Beatrice turned in her chair to face Ava. “Is that so?” 

“Don’t play dumb with me!” Ava chastised her in jest before kneeling beside her. “What are you working on?” 

“I’m running different simulations through the AI that Lilith and I built.” Beatrice explained. “Hopefully, it will help us be successful in Myre’s Pass.” 

“What have you learned so far?” Ava was nothing if not curious. For too long, she’d been blind to the events of the world, and now she needed to catch up in a hurry. 

“Nothing immediately helpful.” Beatrice pushed the stray hairs from her forehead in frustration. “It’s a tenuous situation we’re flying into and I’m not sure that there is any way to minimise the violence.” 

“As much as I’d prefer to avoid loss of life, I feel like we’re past that point.” Ava recalled what Beatrice had already told her about the settlement. “The colonists are angry and the Council is convinced that we’re already in a war. If Myre’s Pass is as critical to their weapon development as everyone has informed me it is, they shouldn’t have treated their citizens so poorly.” 

“So you’re on board with this?” Beatrice knew, logically, that Ava was right. But that didn’t keep her from worrying about Ava and the effects a battle might have on her. 

“Yes. If we can convince the people of Myre’s Pass to fight alongside us, then we would have a huge numbers advantage.” Ava replied thoughtfully. “And if we sabotaged the weapons array and the weapon labs nearby, there wouldn’t be much of a reason for the Council to try and re-establish themselves in the region. It’s far from elegant, but I think it’s the best plan we’ve got.” 

“I agree with you.” Beatrice pulled up a huge list of probabilities. “And according to the simulation, we have a fifty eight percent chance of success.” 

“That’s not very good.” 

“No, but it’s higher than all our other options.” She pointed to a series of dismal figures. “It can’t account for the certain… _Humanness_ of an event. Obviously.” 

“You say obviously, but I don’t know what you mean.” Ava looked to Beatrice for clarification. 

“Our AI, super-intelligent or otherwise, can only analyse hard data. Factors that are inherently human, like morale, inspiration, fatigue, hunger, emotion… Those are too amorphous. Sure, you can _try_ to simulate them, but it’s completely ineffective. All it does is throw off calculations.” 

“Oh.” Ava closed her eyes as she tried to absorb the information.

“Plus, I haven’t programmed in the improvements that Camila’s made on the deployables.” Beatrice added with a grin. 

“Why are you still using deployables?” Ava wondered, thinking of the horrendous pieces of tech that they were forced to use in CAS. 

“They’re better than the military versions.” Beatrice realised at once what Ava was thinking of. “She built treads into them, plus directional modules, so she can direct them like traditional robots.” 

“Woah.” Ava’s eyes grew wide at the implication. “It’s amazing she even gives us the time of day.” 

“I could say the same to you, you’ve become something of a legend.” 

“Oh no, don’t say that. Being a legend is too much pressure.” Ava was only half joking. 

“Okay, no pressure.” Beatrice kissed Ava then, a slow and emotional affair. “Unless you want it.” She added with a wink that made both their cheeks go red.

When they landed, several hours later, Ava would have to embrace that pressure no matter what. Since she was, despite everything, the face of the rebellion.


	20. Reactive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mission in Myre's Pass goes awry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. this update puts me over 600,000 words so thats... something
> 
> 2\. here is my [mood playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3T5qpCQN445vUU1VRR22Rp?si=5c9a6dd82c6f419e) for this fic if you are into that

“These will really keep us safe?” Ava asked, skeptical of the thin armour piece in her hand. It weighed barely anything and each piece had a corresponding sewn pocket on her uniform. 

“Yes.” Camila laughed. “About as well as a standard atmos suit, except these weigh a lot less.” She was sliding her own armour pieces into place as she answered Ava’s question. 

“Mm… Okay…” Ava slotted her chest piece into place. 

“We’ve done a decent amount of testing on them.” Mary added, having designed the testing protocol herself. “They’ll stop a dozen laser blasts, but it’s the plasma you’ve got to be careful of.” 

“Good to know.” Ava nodded. “What about ion weapons?” 

“The uniforms have dispersion thread sewn into them, which helps delocalise the shot… But it’s a hard weapon to protect against.” Camila conceded.

“To be fair, no one has developed a good protection against ion weapons yet.” Shannon chimed in as she pulled a gun from the rack. “And it’s not like they’re common.” 

“I’m worried about the direction this conversation is headed.” Beatrice’s worry was clear in her voice. “How about, instead of discussing how many hits the armour can take, we try  _ not to get shot. _ ” 

“That’s a good suggestion.” Lilith mumbled with a small smile. 

“You’re all working with the universe’s most wanted criminal now, so you need to be ready for the mission to go completely sideways.” Ava was only half joking. 

“Well, it’s a cool title if nothing else.” Mary tried to remain upbeat as she punched her code into the door. A moment later, the airlock slid open. 

Downhill from their landing sight, Myre’s Pass was bright in the distance. Night had fallen, but the fluorescent glow was unmistakable. To the east of the town, the weapons lab threw a dim light into the air. Meanwhile, the weapons array was visible to the north. Even from a distance, the massive cannons created a silhouette in the sky. 

“So this is the infamous Myre’s Pass, then.” Ava whispered in awe. 

“You’ve never been?” Shannon asked as the six of them quickly began walking towards town, while being followed by Camila’s deployables. 

“I dropped a dozen supply crates on it from space, but I’ve never been in the town proper, no.” 

“This should be… Interesting.” Lilith replied, thinking immediately of the massive wall of posters - all of which bore Ava’s face. 

“I wish we had a better idea of what personnel the Council has assigned here.” Beatrice mumbled as they walked. Silently, Ava wrapped her hand around Beatrice’s squeezing it tightly. “And what equipment is here. I don’t want a repeat of the tank incident.” 

“The what?” For what seemed like the hundredth time, Ava felt out of the loop.

“Last time we were here, trying to diffuse a tense standoff between Council troops and protestors, they surprised us with a tank.” Camila explained. 

“Which, if it wasn’t for the deployable turrets, would have probably killed us.” Mary noted.

“But now, the turrets have two modes!” Camila’s excitement, despite everything, was palpable. “Plasma, for pure damage and fighting organic beings. And…” She paused for dramatic effect. “Electrical discharge slugs.” 

“And those are?” Ava asked curiously. 

“They’re thick slugs, about this big.” She held up a closed fist to demonstrate. “The turrets fire them at high speed into the metal body of a tank, turret, or other similar piece of equipment. Then, the slug detonates, pushing a ridiculous amount of voltage through the target. Essentially, it fries any internal computer, making the equipment useless. Though, I’d imagine they could kill a person, too… We haven’t tested that…” 

“The Council has a lot of advantages over us, but I’m really happy they don’t have you, Cam.” Ava smiled warmly as she spoke. During their time in CAS, Camila had been discouraged and punished for building new equipment. Most of her non-mission time was relegated to fixing outdated gear - a reality that Ava had always found sad. Thus, seeing Camila working for a noble goal  _ and  _ getting to build new tech made Ava surprisingly happy. 

“Me too.” Lilith agreed in an instant. “The Council had all of us at one point though, save for Mary.” 

“Yeah, because I’m not a sheep like the rest of you.” Mary laughed. 

“Trust me when I say you’re not missing out.” Beatrice’s tone was dark. The Council had taken so much from her and it was still an exceedingly sore subject. 

No one spoke after that, instead opting to walk in silence. A gentle breeze rustled leaves on the nearby trees and the occasional sound of wildlife echoed through the quiet evening. Ava kept her hand on Beatrice’s, even as she craned her neck upwards to look at the stars. It was one of few things that brought her comfort, during her time on the run. A bit superstitious, perhaps, but she felt like if she could see the stars, so could Beatrice. And somehow, that small point of connection meant that everything would be okay in the end. 

After half an hour, they reached Myre’s Pass proper. Just like last time, there was a contingent of protesters along the main street. Almost immediately, Ava’s eyes fell on the huge display of posters which bore her face. 

“Oh…” She breathed, stopping in the middle of the street to stare at it. 

“Put your helmet on.” Beatrice urged her quietly. “Before someone recognises you.” 

Ava did as she was told, but stared at the posters a few seconds longer. It was bizarre, mind-bendingly so. Thankfully, Beatrice pulled her away, towards the settlement’s community center where Sio’s office was located. The Council officers were too busy with the crowd to notice their arrival, which was a much needed stroke of luck. 

“Oh, thank God you’re here.” Sio cried as the six women entered her office. “I don’t think we’ve got much time before this all blows up - hours, maybe.” Her office was a scattered mess, emblematic of the town’s growing tension. 

“What’s going on?” Shannon asked, trying to stay calm and professional. 

“The Council is threatening to ‘seriously punish’ the settlement if we don’t comply with their new work orders.” Sio succinctly explained. 

“Which are?” Ava wondered as she pulled her helmet off. It was stupid to wear it inside, and there weren’t any Council officers in the building. 

“It’s you.” Sio breathed, recognising Ava immediately. She turned to Beatrice. “You finally found her, then?” 

“I did.” Beatrice nodded and worked hard to keep her composure. 

“Not to get distracted…” Lilith scowled, but her motivation to stay on task was for the good of the people. “But what are the Council’s new work orders and why has tension skyrocketed during the past week?” 

“They want everyone running double shifts at the weapons facility, rumour is that they’re preparing for something. We account for thirty percent of their production, so they’ve been running us extra hard.” Sio spoke quickly, though she seemed particularly focused on Ava. 

“If that isn’t proof that they’re preparing for war, I don’t know what is.” Mary muttered, not bothering to disguise her obvious disdain for the Council.

“We’ve been sick of the Council for years already.” Sio rubbed her eyes, it was clear she’d barely slept for days. “Every quarter, it seems like they expect a little more work, for a little less pay. But this is  _ ridiculous. _ Ever since a certain someone dropped a massive amount of supplies on our settlement… Well, it was a galvanising moment if there ever was one.” 

“We have a plan.” Camila told her. “It’s not without sacrifice, or danger, but it’s the best plan we realistically have.” 

“Lay it on me.” The red-haired mayor steeled herself. 

“Right now, the OCSF doesn’t have the numbers for a full-scale assault.” Shannon reported. “But with the help of some of the colonists here, we can strike a real blow to the Council.”

“As much as I wish this weren’t the case, we are on the brink of a war.” Added Ava, with a determined expression on her face. “If this were a different colony, one that was of less productive value, the Council wouldn’t hesitate to burn it to the ground.” 

“I know.” Sio’s face was drawn. “We are not blind to our privilege.” 

“Do you think you can convince your citizens to participate?” Beatrice cut to the heart of the issue. 

“I think…” Sio closed her eyes in thought for a moment. “At least some of them. What’s your plan?” 

“We need people with clearance to the weapons facility.” Lilith explained. “Meanwhile, we are going to head towards the weapons array - it should provide more than enough of a distraction.” 

“Ah, I see where you’re going with this.” 

“With the weapons facility destroyed and the array sabotaged, the Council will have little motivation to reclaim the territory.” Beatrice noted. “This means that Myre’s Pass would likely become a free colony, should we be successful in this war, at least.” 

“A free colony…” Sio repeated. Myre’s Pass was more fortunate than most colonies, since their production was specialised and important. Still, no one was blind to the abusive rule of the Council. 

“I can put you in touch with a very talented team of smugglers, should you find yourself wanting for Council goods.” Ava mumbled, trying to lighten the mood slightly. 

“I think you should talk to them.” 

“I should  _ what _ ?” Ava looked at Sio with unmasked surprise. 

“Talk to the people.” Sio emphasised. “As the woman who started all of this.” 

“I started all of this?” Ava looked at the mayor, then at Beatrice, then at the crowd outside the window. 

“Maybe not intentionally, but your actions two years ago seemed to have a ripple effect. But it was only speeding up an inevitable conclusion.” Sio replied, which didn’t make Ava feel better, but it certainly didn’t make her feel worse, either.

Ava walked to the window. “What would I even say?” 

“Something inspirational.” Mary told her with a kind chuckle, which made Ava smile slightly. “But let Shannon and I take out the Council officers first.”

“I… Alright.” Ava reluctantly agreed. 

“Can you get us up onto the roof?” Shannon asked as she unslung the plasma rifle from her back. 

“Yeah.” Sio rose from her desk. “Follow me.” She led them from the room.

“I’m going to pull the deployables into position.” Camila whispered as she retrieved the mini holopad from her pocket and typed a series of commands into it. “Just in case.” Meanwhile, Ava paced back and forth in front of the window. 

“Tense combat is fine, but  _ public speaking?! _ ” 

“Ava?” Beatrice put a hand on her shoulder. “It’s okay. Really. You’re not running for office. People…” She paused, trying to find a good way to phrase her thoughts. “People are inspired by you. You did something that the Council  _ should  _ have been doing for its citizens for years. Just say something honest, okay?” Beatrice pressed a kiss to Ava’s forehead. “I love you.” 

“I love you too.” Ava breathed, beyond grateful that Beatrice was back in her life again. 

A moment later, a series of shouts signified the sudden death of the Council officers outside. With shaky hands, Ava opened the office door and stepped out onto the balcony. Almost at once, it seemed like every colonist was looking up at her. Whispers were audible as everyone recognised her, which was unsurprisingly odd. Behind Ava, her friends had all unslung their weapons, just in case. 

“Hi.” Ava waved at everyone, both awkward and charming. “I’m Ava Silva. The one from the posters.” She cleared her throat and then continued. “We’re on the brink of the war, but I’m pretty sure that’s obvious to everyone. I guess the question now is, are you willing to fight? It’s a terrifying option, trust me, I know. But what’s the alternative, really? Accept their tyrannical rule that’s built on the mistreatment of others?” 

Murmurs rumbled through the crowd as Ava nervously proceeded. “It’s no secret that people die of easily preventable causes every day. Plague ravages settlements on Solis 6 and Terra 2 suffers from wretched supply shortages. Meanwhile, the Council lives in opulence.  _ Millions  _ of credits were poured in trying to kill me - just for trying to bring supplies to those in need.” Low whispers turned into claps and Ava felt herself blush.

“Firebend doesn’t exist anymore, because I had the audacity to stay there after a pod crash nearly cost me my life. I won’t lie to any of you. The guilty mark that this has left on my conscience can never be washed away.” A few angry shouts echoed against the buildings. “The Council spent millions to kill me. And they succeeded this winter.” Beatrice stiffened as Ava recounted it stoically. 

“Not only has the Council spent millions to kill me, but they’ve spent millions bringing me back to life. And who knows, maybe they’ve messed up something in my head, but they obviously didn’t do a good enough job.” Ava took a deep breath, both nervous and excited with the energy of the crowd. “Because I’m so  _ fucking  _ dedicated to dragging this system to the ground. Even if I have to do it myself, I will, but I can’t imagine I’m alone in this.”

Cheers and claps erupted from the crowd, clearly convinced by Ava’s testimony. “That was a good speech for a soldier.” Camila teased as she clapped Ava on the back, though there were tears in her eyes. 

“Really good.” Beatrice echoed as she hooked an arm around Ava’s waist.

“Agreed.” Lilith nodded. “Now let’s get down there and give everyone directions, before the Council shows up.” 

Once they were back down on the main street, Shannon and Mary took over and began issuing instructions. For once, Ava was a distraction not only to Beatrice. Several of the colonists wanted to meet her, shake her hand, offer their stories, and the like. Ava, despite being completely overwhelmed, took this in stride - before directing everyone’s attention back towards Shannon and Mary. Soon enough, the well-armed crowd took off towards the weapon development labs. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be for nothing. 

“Okay.” Camila pulled her deployables into formation. “Six of us versus one of the most advanced sites in the galaxy. Let’s go.” 

“To be fair, it’s built to shoot missiles into space, not at us.” Beatrice clarified as she walked beside Ava.

“I’m sure I’m not the only one that doesn’t find that comforting.” Mary retorted with a grin. 

Though Ava didn’t reply during the continuing familial banter, it did help her calm down. Beatrice’s constant presence by her side didn’t hurt either. Seeing the effect of her actions up close… It wasn’t the first time, but it still felt exceedingly profound. She didn’t have much time to reflect on it though, as they crested a hill, and were now looking down on the sprawling weapons array. 

Huge cannons were built into a low-lying base, with a plethora of automated security. Oddly enough, there weren’t any human guards in sight. 

“Why aren’t there any officers?” Ava asked, wondering if she’d missed something from the earlier briefing. Unlike in CAS, she’d actually paid attention, but it was still a possibility. 

“I don’t know.” Beatrice whispered in reply. It wasn’t a sentence she said often. 

“Um… What are the chances that Sio’s office was bugged?” Lilith wondered with a grim expression. 

“Oh, no.” Ava’s realisation, alongside everyone else’s, was instant. 

“We can’t just leave the array untouched.” Beatrice looked in the direction of the weapons lab, then back towards the array. 

“We can’t have just directed all those people to die, either!” Ava’s voice was sharp in a way she’d never been towards Beatrice before. 

“No one is suggesting that.” Beatrice bit back.

“There’s no time for this.” Camila interrupted them. “I’ll do what I can with the deployables here and then we’ll bomb it from the Crusader. That’ll have to do.” 

“I’m staying to cover you.” Lilith added and was clearly not budging on the issue. 

“Meet back at the ship?” Mary proposed, earning a round of nods from everyone. “Great, don’t die, you two.” 

“Let’s go.” Shannon took off at a run, followed by Mary, Beatrice, and Ava.

It only took a few minutes to reach the labs, but the sound of gunfire was audible before then. Ava felt a familiar sick feeling in her stomach. There was a thick line of trees surrounding the lab, where the four of them took cover. 

“We’ve got a better angle on them, but we’re severely outnumbered.” Mary assessed the situation as the Council officers shot at the colonists. 

“But someone’s made a mistake that might pay off for us.” Beatrice observed. She might have even smiled had the situation not been so dire. Instead, she pointed out a nuclear fuel cell storage cart that had been left outside the research building. “One shot. It will take out the entire entrance easily.” 

“It’s not the most elegant of solutions.” Shannon muttered as she squared up her rifle to take the shot. “But it’ll do.” 

The resulting explosion shook the ground beneath them and the shockwave ripped the leaves from all the trees. Ava was happy she’d had the foresight to unclench her jaw, or her teeth would have shattered on impact. As quickly as she could manage, she picked herself up, happy to see her friends do the same. 

“We need to take the injured colonists back to town. We owe them that much.” Ava said. Her voice sounded slightly distorted in her ears after the explosion. 

“Shannon and I will take care of it.” Mary replied while they crept towards the building. Only a moment ago, the scene had been absolutely chaotic, now it was eerily still and the stench of blood filled the air. “You look like you could barely lift a gun.” 

“Rude.” Ava muttered, though Mary had a point. 

“Can you two infiltrate the facility and make sure the Council can’t get this place back up and running again?” Shannon asked.

“Yes.” Beatrice nodded. Without further comment, she took Ava’s arm and led her into the building. 

Neither of them spoke as they crept through the blown open entrance to the weapons lab. Council officers laid scattered near the blast’s epicenter, unmoving and still. Mostly likely dead. Ava pushed the thought from her mind as she followed Beatrice deeper into the building. The emergency alert system had kicked on and a droning alarm filled the air. It made it even harder to focus and the emergency lights bathed the industrial hallways in an eerie glow. 

“We need to find the building’s reactor.” Beatrice whispered as they snuck through another empty hall. “From there, we can blow the facility up.” 

“Got it.” Ava mumbled. It was everything she could do to hang onto her focus, but she wouldn’t let her team down. She wouldn’t let  _ Beatrice  _ down. No matter what. 

Thankfully, the building wasn’t designed with a siege in mind. There was clear signage that led them straight to the reactor, in the building's basement. Beatrice quickly began keying commands into the computer, to override the reactor’s safety controls. From the terminal, she disabled the alarm before working on the more sensitive commands. In the now-deafening silence, the distinct sound of footsteps echoed through the hallway.

“Hey, Beatrice?” Ava’s nervousness was betrayed in her words. “How much more time do you need?” 

“A few minutes at least.”

“Okay…” Ava flicked the safety off on her pistol. “And what’s the range on this explosion?” 

“We won’t want to be near the building.” Beatrice answered quickly, in a tense whisper. 

As the footsteps got closer, Ava closed her eyes to focus on counting them. Four people. And, to make matters worse, she could hear the distinct buzzing of ion weapons. Whoever was coming, they were shooting to kill. Quickly, Ava pulled a plasma grenade from her belt, priming it in her hands. Just as the group of guards rounded the corner, she let it fly. Because she’d held onto the explosive so long after priming it, it exploded midair, splattering plasma over the guards.

Echoed shouts filled the corridor as they retreated. It was far from a fatal attack for any of them, but it wasn’t meant to be. Rather, Ava meant it to disrupt their approach, and serve as a warning. Using the few moments she’d bought herself, Ava pushed a table in front of the door. It had two small windows, but her rudimentary barricade still offered some protection. Using the grip of her laser pistol, she smashed through the glass and prepared for the officers to round the corner. 

“Ava can you hold them off?” Beatrice’s voice was fraught with tension. “I need another minute.” 

“Yes, keep working.” Ava was nothing if not brave. “I can handle it.” Not a second after she was done speaking, an ion beam burned through the door, piercing the reactor’s shielding. A sharp hissing filled the room and several alarm notifications went off. 

“ _ Fuck. _ ” Beatrice whispered, somehow growing even more panicked than she already was. There were maybe minutes until radiation flooded the entire room. Ava didn’t reply, instead opting to aim her gun through the window, successful taking out one of the officers. Just as a second one moved to aim his gun around the wall, Ava shot the barrel of his ion rifle. The weapon all but dissolved in his hands. From the subsequent screams, Ava guessed he wouldn’t be a threat anymore. 

Before the guards at the end of the hallway could take any more shots, Beatrice abandoned the computer and slid across the floor, meeting Ava by the barricade. “The reactor is leaking radiation. It’ll be at fatal levels in a few minutes, but it is still potentially repairable.” Beatrice spoke quickly and quietly. “How many grenades do you have?” 

“One plasma, two standard.” 

“Toss one to slow down the guards, then we’ll leave the rest propped up against the door.” Beatrice instructed as she pulled the grenades from her own belt.

“You don’t mean…” Ava’s eyes grew wide at the implication. 

“There’s an emergency exit there.” Beatrice gestured with a nod. “But yes, these guards are going to detonate the bomb for us. I wish there was another way, Ava. I really do.”

“I know.” Ava replied in a hoarse whisper. She knew Beatrice took no pleasure in violence, but this had to be done. So, Ava threw a plasma grenade towards the guards that remained in the hall. More shouts echoed through the corridor, clearly reinforcements were on the way. Thankfully, the emergency exit could only be opened from the inside, or they’d be entirely surrounded. 

“Are you ready to run?” Beatrice asked, having propped all their grenades in a precarious position against the makeshift barricade. 

“Lead the way.” A split second later, they both bolted for the emergency exit. It led them into a stairwell, which they climbed two at a time, to the exterior door. Hopefully Mary and Shannon were far enough away, because there would be no time to warn them. Instead of looping around to the front of the building, Beatrice and Ava pelted through the woods, trying to put as much space between themselves and the explosion as possible. 

It still wasn’t enough space, or enough time, as the blast threw them both from their feet. Beatrice, who’d been a step ahead, got hit twice. First by the shockwave and then by Ava crashing into her on the ground. Ava’s last thought before the world turned to black was how happy she was to be with Beatrice - despite everything.


	21. Good News and Bad News

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Undercurrents of tension become impossible to ignore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here are some AUs that didnt quite make the cut:
> 
> 1\. near futuristic world that is sort of tron-esque and they are all in a street racing gang  
> 2\. college + rock band  
> 3\. zombie apocalypse  
> 4\. ava and beatrice are both college professors competing for the same grant at their university, hijinks ensue

“Ava?” A soft voice crept into Ava’s consciousness, though the world felt immensely foggy. Dark. “Ava? Are you alright?” There was a warmth in the voice, Ava slowly realised. A familiarity.  _ Beatrice’s  _ voice - her mind filled in the blank a moment later. 

“Hmmm?” Ava groaned as woke up and pain made itself known across her body. Still, as she cracked open her eyes, she was greeted with a smile, one that looked as relieved as she felt. 

“We need to get out of here.” Beatrice whispered. Her nose was bleeding, as were her ears. “Between the radiation and the Council, we’ve gotten ourselves into quite a predicament.” 

“I…” Ava paused as the evening’s mission, and their failures, came rushing back. “Sorry I landed on you.” She finally added, while slowly getting up. Her body ached and she swayed slightly on her feet, but Ava was grateful to still be alive. Tonight was too close. 

“It’s okay.” Beatrice rose just as slowly, wincing as she straightened up. She checked her communicator, but it wasn’t functioning. “Shit. The blast must have blown it. I have no idea how long we’ve been here.” 

“Mine too.” Ava looked down at the tiny device on her wrist, rendered dead presumably by the shockwave. 

“How about…” Beatrice reached inside her collar, pulling a tiny transmitter from the fabric. “This is dead too, it should be blinking.”    
“So if the ship is still here, and if anyone is aboard it, it will look as though we’ve vanished?” Ava filled in the blanks herself, though she would have preferred not to do so. This was a dismal situation. 

“That about covers it.” Beatrice took Ava’s hand and the two of them took off though the woods, towards the glow of the town. “But everyone is smart. The ship will no doubt pick up the increased radioactivity levels, I think they would make the obvious inference instead of assuming the worst.” 

“I hope everyone else made it back.” Ava mumbled, grateful for Beatrice’s presence, but still feeling guilty. 

“We’ve got a capable team.” Beatrice was reassuring herself as much as Ava. “I have faith that everyone’s made it.” 

“I hope you’re right…” Ava looked at Beatrice, beautiful even with the blood, dirt, and sweat that coated her face. “I’m sorry I yelled at you earlier. At the array.” 

“What?” Beatrice was clearly surprised. “Oh, it’s okay. I’m sorry too.” 

“I misunderstood what you meant and was frustrated in the moment.” Ava continued. “I know that you wouldn’t be okay with letting that many people just die. I’m not sure why my mind made the jump…” 

“You’ve been through a lot, Ava.” Beatrice squeezed her hand. “And this is your first mission in a long time. A high stakes one, at that, which ended up going completely wrong. Excuse my bluntness, but it would be a bit foolish to assume you would be totally fine.” 

“As usual, you’re right.” Ava sighed. “Even if your ears are bleeding, you might still have a brain in that pretty head of yours.” 

“Yours are bleeding too.” 

“Oh?” Ava reached her free hand up and was surprised to see her fingers coated in crimson. “So they are.” 

“ _ God,  _ Ava, I’m sorry.” Beatrice apologised for a second time, and only then did Ava realise that there were tears drawing streaks across her face. “You’ve only just returned and already this mission was a disaster. You’re barely in combat shape, yet I’ve just gone and got us blown up. I wouldn’t be surprised if you thought the team and I were bloody incompentent.” 

“Are you joking?” Ava was floored with Beatrice’s admission of guilt and her assessment of the situation. 

“No?” 

“Beatrice. Stop for a moment.” Ava stopped walking, but didn’t release her grip on Beatrice’s hand.

“But the ship -” 

“Will still be there. Or won’t.” Ava shrugged, ignoring the pain that the movement sent through her body. “What you just said couldn’t be further from how I feel.” 

“Really?” Beatrice’s hope bled into her words. 

“Really.” Ava repeated. “Sure, this mission didn’t go according to plan. But despite that, we struck a  _ huge  _ blow to the Council tonight! The six of us and a heap of motivated citizens from Myre’s Pass, we did this! That’s amazing!”

“But… With the reactor…” 

“I don’t even know enough about computers to shut off the safeties.” Ava explained quietly. “I would have probably just tossed a bunch of grenades into the core and died for the cause.” 

“Don’t.” Beatrice bit sharply, hating how Ava referred so casually to death. After everything… 

“Sorry.” Ava breathed as Beatrice pulled her into a tight hug, despite the pain it caused them both. 

“Come on.” Beatrice released Ava and they started back towards the town. “Let’s get going.”

After a few minutes, the crept cautiously into one of the town’s alleys, expecting the worst. The community center was bustling with activity, though there wasn’t a Council officer in sight. Instead, Lilith and Camila sat on the front porch, completely  _ filthy.  _ Meanwhile, Shannon and Mary hustled around, helping to coordinate triage efforts. 

“Oh thank  _ God! _ ” Camila jumped up when she saw Ava and Beatrice approaching. Lilith was quick to follow, surprisingly emotional after the stressful mision. The four of them stayed locked in a painful group hug for a moment, before breaking apart. 

“What happened to you two?” Ava asked as they walked back towards the community center. 

“Well, it ends with us very nearly getting blown to bits.” Lilith muttered. Even her eyelashes were coated with dirt. Whatever had happened to them, it had clearly been an  _ event.  _

“Hey!” Shannon exited the building, grinning as she caught sight of the last two members of the group. “You’re both alive!” 

“That we are.” Beatrice nodded, wishing she could feel more relieved than she did. “What’s our status?”    
“Mary is wrapping up a few things and then we should get out of here.” Shannon replied, just as Mary appeared in the doorway. 

Instead of staying for the conversation, Ava headed towards the door. Part of her, however fucked up it may be, needed to see the injured colonists. She was no doctor and would be of no help, but Ava felt an odd responsibility. Besides, this had been her fault - hadn’t it?

“No.” Mary put an arm on Ava’s shoulder, while blocking the door with her body. “You don’t need to go in there.” 

“What? Why?” Ava tried to wiggle out of Mary’s grip, but it was impossible. 

“Just…” Mary sighed as she basically lifted Ava back down the steps. “Trust me on this one, okay?” 

“Okay…” Ava reluctantly agreed and hung her head. Mary’s refusal was an answer in its own way; whatever was inside, was terrible. 

“Alright.” Mary addressed the group with a stoic expression. “Let’s go.” 

“Just like that?” Ava looked around. Leaving the settlement in a state of disarray like this seemed unbearable. 

“Every moment that we stay only increases the danger for those who live here.” Shannon explained as they began walking back up to the ship. 

“And we still have to bomb the weapons array as we go.” Camila added. “I’d rather do that without a sky full of Council fighters.” 

“Okay, okay.” Ava muttered. Her friends were plenty logical in their assessment, but Ava still felt sick and guilty about leaving. “Where are the deployables?” 

“None of them made it.” Lilith whispered, with a sympathetic glance in Camila’s direction. 

“They sacrificed themselves for the greater good.” Camila explained with an unmistakable sadness in her voice. “I’m going to have to start building from scratch when we get back. Plus side, the pulse charges work well against both tanks and automechs.” 

“I’m sorry.” Ava placed a gentle hand on Camila’s shoulder. “I don’t know how much assistance I can offer, but if you need a second set of hands, I’m there.” 

“Thank you.” Camila replied with a small smile. Meanwhile, Beatrice wrapped an arm around Ava, finding herself once again in awe of the woman’s selflessness. Ava had been through so much, including her own death and capture, only to have her first mission back go terribly… Yet she was still more concerned with apologising to Beatrice and comforting Camila. 

“Actually Ava, I think Superion will have a work assignment for you when we get back.” Shannon reported.

“Really?” Ava was somewhat nervous, for no discernable reason. After everything she had faced, what could be intimidating about a day’s work? Nothing. Except, Superion was intimidating and Ava desperately wanted to do a good job. To show she belonged, if nothing else. 

“She mentioned having you help develop the predictive AI with me and Lilith.” Beatrice told her quietly. 

“What?” Ava turned to look at Beatrice. “Why? I don’t know nearly enough about computers!” 

“But you know how the Council operates.” Lilith jumped in before Beatrice could answer. “And you’ve survived more than anyone else. We are all in agreement when we say that your analysis could be helpful.” 

“How strange…” Ava mumbled under her breath. “Plus if there’s a Council chip in my head then I’m sure that can give you even more answers!” 

“Don’t. Even. Joke.” Beatrice bit. Maybe the jokes helped Ava cope, but they only made Beatrice feel ill. Maybe she was being selfish, but after yet another near death experience, she wasn’t feeling very humorous.

“Sorry…” Ava breathed. The hurt was obvious on her face, but she retained her grip on Beatrice’s hand. It was clear they still had a lot more to work through. 

No one spoke again until they reached the ship. Camila darted to the bathroom to wipe the worst of the dirt from her face, before running back down to the cockpit. 

“She’s pretty energetic for someone who was nearly shot by a tank an hour ago.” Lilith quipped as Camila began issuing commands. 

“Mary! Shannon! Take the left and right gunner seats. I don’t trust JC to do this, it’s too delicate an operation!” Camila called from the pilot’s seat.

“Yes ma’am.” Mary allowed herself a small smile as she strapped herself into one of the combat seats. 

“Lilith, come co-pilot for me!” Camila added, as she frantically pressed a series of buttons. A soft buzzing filled the ship as the engines began to warm up. 

“Beatrice, head to the command terminal and get on comms. Ava, follow her and take the rear gunner’s position.” 

“Aye aye, captain!” Ava replied before following Beatrice up the stairs and down the narrow corridor. Quickly, Beatrice slid open the comm room door and strapped into the chair, while Ava sat beside her. It’d been a long time since Ava had properly fired a ship’s gun, but hopefully she wouldn’t screw up.

“We’re online.” Beatrice reported into the whirring terminal. 

“Thanks.” Camila’s voice echoed through the device. “Ready for take off?” A series of affirmative answers shortly followed. “Oh, I turned off g-force stabilisation to help our shots be more accurate, so please hold on to your dinner.” 

“I love how she only mentions that when -” Ava didn’t finish her sentence, as the ship’s sudden and harsh movement drove the words from her lungs. 

“Camila has a habit of leaving the disclaimers until the last minute.” Beatrice choked out, once she regained the ability to breathe. 

“I gathered.” 

“Hey!” Camila’s voice echoed over the terminal. “If you’re going to talk shit, at least make sure your mic is off. Anyway, we’re in position. Beatrice, activate our shielding please.” 

“It’s on.” Beatrice reported after keying in a few commands. “We’ve got maybe a minute.” 

“That’s forty five more seconds than I need.” Camila replied.

“Lilith must be upset about that.” Mary muttered quietly, though her voice was still picked up by the cockpit mic.

“Mary!” Shannon’s chastisement was audible to everyone. 

“As I was  _ saying… _ ” Camila continued. “The HUD will highlight our primary targets to destroy. Gunners, when you’re ready!” Ava leaned forward, resting her face against the targeting goggles. True to Camila’s words, green markers highlighted where to target. Foolproof. With the familiar feel of the gun’s joystick in her hands, Ava made quick work of a few targets. Judging from the sound of plasma fire and the visual display, Mary and Shannon were having similar success. 

“We need to pull out, now!” Camila’s sudden cry startled both Ava and Beatrice. “JC just reported that Council ships are inbound, and not far away. Hold on tight!” The ship fully inverted itself as Camila threw it into full evasive maneuvers to avoid any targeting beams that might be headed their way. Ava groaned as her stomach flipped over and Beatrice shot her a sympathetic look. 

After several minutes of agonising flying, the g-force stabilisers turned back on. Camila had maintained radio silence during the entire affair, likely too busy focusing on flying to spare the thought for conversation. Only now did her voice emanate through the terminal. 

“Good news, the ships wanted to follow us, but we lost them. We were the primary target, not Myre’s Pass.” 

“When you start a sentence with ‘good news’ it implies that there is also bad news.” Lilith stated quietly. 

“Bad news is that I think one of the ships still diverted down to the settlement.” Her tone was full of gravel. “I doubt it’s for a full scale invasion, but it’s still not a good sign.” 

“Can we go back?” Ava knew the answer already, but she couldn’t keep herself from asking. 

“No.” Mary was the first to answer. “We’ve lost the element of surprise and all our deployables. Plus half of us are injured. I’m sorry.” 

“Understood.” Ava replied curtly as she tried to hold back her tears. 

“Thanks for getting us out of danger, Camila.” Beatrice spoke calmly into the mic. “Good teamwork, everyone.” She turned the terminal off and directed her attention towards Ava. “Come on, let’s go get cleaned up.” 

Silently, Ava let Beatrice lift her from the chair and march her down to the ship’s small medical bay. There was an unspoken tension between them, a mix of a thousand different emotions, most of which were beyond verbal explanation. Still, they needed to try, right?

“We should probably talk.” 


	22. Potential Energy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Beatrice wants is to protect Ava.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> real talk: ive been super depressed lately and i dont want to write anything anymore. but, at the same time, i know that having something to work on is probably the only thing keeping me from the grave. so... here i am for now, enjoy some more garbage

“I’m basically half a person and half anti-rad meds at this point.” Ava muttered after swallowing a handful of radiation prevention pills.

“Please, Ava.” Beatrice clung onto the counter so hard her knuckles were white. “How can you continue to joke?” 

“I…” Ava was taken aback by Beatrice’s nerves. During their operation she’d been so calm, or at least relatively so. “Sorry. It helps… Somewhat.” 

“Sorry.” Beatrice offered her own apology. “It’s hard for me… I know it’s selfish…” She took a deep breath. “We almost died today. The thought of losing you… Again… I can’t bear it.” 

“Beatrice, if you hadn’t been there, I definitely wouldn’t have survived the day.” Ava was trying to be helpful, but her comment was anything but. Beatrice looked up from the drawer of medical supplies, with angry tears in her eyes. 

“That’s not comforting. You’re way too careless about dying for this cause.” Her voice was shaky, sharp in a way Ava had never heard before. “I know that if it were up to you, we’d be turning around and staying in Myre’s Pass, regardless of the cost.” 

“We would.” Ava admitted in a whisper. She wasn’t stupid, she knew that going back would have been a terrible idea, but that didn’t stop her from wanting to help as much as possible - irrespective of the cost. 

“I’ve always admired your selflessness and your optimism.” Beatrice began. “And your bravery. But I  _ need  _ you to consider the long term consequences of your actions.” Tears ran down her face as she took Ava’s hands in her own. “For me, if not yourself. Please. I can’t lose you.” 

“I promise…” Ava trailed off while Beatrice pulled her into a tight hug. “I just don’t want anyone else to suffer.” She added in a tiny whisper.

“You’re a noble woman, Ava.” Beatrice breathed as she held Ava close. “But I’m not.” 

“What?” Ava pressed herself away from Beatrice, though it pained her to do so. “How can you say that? Just because you don’t want me to die… Again?” Tears painted both their faces now. Between the blood, dirt, and tears, they had both looked better. “You’ve dedicated your life to fighting against the Council just as much as I have. We both know that you could be a successful woman in a million other fields, should you have chosen another career for yourself.” 

“I already feel guilty enough for the years I wasted in CAS.” Beatrice mumbled. “I can’t imagine doing anything else.” 

“Then you’re just as noble as I am.” Ava pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Perhaps moreso, since you’re a lot less stupid.” 

“I don’t think you’re stupid.” 

“That’s not the right word.” Ava pondered it for a few seconds. “You’re not as… Short sighted.” 

“Perhaps.” Beatrice made no move to correct her; Ava was unfortunately correct. “We’re in this together, regardless.” She took a sharp deep breath. “You’re a stronger woman than I am, but sometimes I’m not sure if I should try to emulate you or just smack you in the head.” 

“Mmm…” Ava met Beatrice’s intense gaze with a smile. “Both.” Her grin widened and Beatrice couldn’t help but laugh. 

“ _ God _ , Ava.” Beatrice ran a hand across Ava’s face. “I love you, but honestly you make me insane.” 

“That’s what love is, baby!” Ava chuckled, but then grew serious a moment later. “Sorry. I know we were having a serious discussion. I just… I’m not sure how to phrase it exactly. Even with everything that’s happened… Being around you - it makes me so happy it’s hard to focus on anything else.” 

“I know what you mean.” Beatrice pulled a few rolls of gauze from the drawer as she hid the small smile on her face. “Why don’t we get cleaned up?”

“That’s a good idea.” Ava agreed at once. Carefully, Beatrice began cleaning the blood from Ava’s ears and neck. “Sorry again for landing on you.” Ava added as she leaned her head on Beatrice’s shoulder. 

“It’s okay.” Beatrice laughed lightly as she worked. “I think the nuclear explosion hurt a lot more than your tiny frame.” 

“I’m not tiny.” Ava frowned. “Though I am tired.” 

“Me too.” Beatrice tossed a pile of bloody rags into the incinerator. “Doctor Sarte is going to be so angry with us.” 

“Ugh…” Ava groaned dramatically. “Do we have to go see her again when we get back?” 

“Yes, Ava.” Beatrice gave her a sharp look. “We’ll both have to get checked for internal damage from the explosion.”

“Well, at least I’ll be with you.” Ava helped Beatrice clean the blood from her face. “I just don’t like some of the things she says, even if she’s right.” 

“I understand.” 

“After we’re done here and showered, can I go to bed?” Ava asked suddenly.

“I’m not sure why you’re asking me.” Beatrice replied quietly, as she tried to focus on Ava’s words instead of the warm feeling of Ava’s hand on the side of her face. 

“Oh!” Ava giggled. “I meant to ask if you’d join me.” 

“Oh?” Beatrice raised an eyebrow. 

“Not in a… Well, not in  _ that  _ way.” Ava quickly clarified, as her cheeks grew red. “I want to give you everything I’ve got when it’s time for…  _ That.  _ Which I don’t think either of us have -” 

“Ava.” Beatrice interrupted with a grin. “I’ll join you.” 

“Thank you.” She sighed, clearly embarrassed. 

“We should both probably eat something, too.” Beatrice added, more concerned for Ava than herself. 

“Ugh…” Ava pressed a hand to her stomach. Logically, she knew that she should be eating everything she could stomach. But, despite Beatrice’s influence, cold guilt seemed wrapped around her insides. “I’ll try, okay?” 

“Please do.” 

An hour later, both of them were showered and curled up in bed. Beatrice had managed to coax Ava into half a meal, which was certainly better than nothing. 

“Do you want to finally start reading my replies?” Beatrice asked, as Ava wound herself up in blankets. 

“Will you read them to me?” Ava asked with an almost pleading expression. 

“I… Okay.” Beatrice agreed, before reaching over to her desk and pulling the older of the two journals back into bed. Sleepily, Ava stretched beside her, before stretching an arm around Beatrice and holding her tightly. 

“Thank you.” 

“The first entry is from October, 2189, just after I went to Fallbrook to look for you.” Beatrice gave a short preamble, to which Ava gave a nod of affirmation. “Dear Ava, I honestly thought I would find you today. I realise now that might have been stupid of me. Try as I might, I can’t erase the nervousness from my mind. If Gretchen was telling the truth, and you really did disappear, why?” 

“I’m sorry.” Ava breathed as she curled into Beatrice even more. “I caused you worry.” 

“I probably should have realised I was in love with you a lot sooner.” Beatrice whispered, trying to keep the conversation a bit lighter, if not sentimental. That was definitely better than focusing on the first of many attempts on Ava’s life.

“Probably.” Ava giggled sleepily. 

“I’m still unsure if you’ll be angry or not that I stole your journal.” Beatrice continued reading. “The Council was going to seize everything as evidence, and I know you’d prefer I keep it than them. Still… Well, if you’re mad, I’m sorry. But, to be mad at me, I’d have to see you in person. Which is all that I want right now. Every day I get closer to figuring out what you did.” 

“I’m not mad. Never was.” Ava slurred, barely able to keep her eyes open. 

“I know.” Beatrice pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. 

Beatrice read to Ava for a few more minutes, before Ava fell entirely asleep. While Beatrice was plenty tired, she was simultaneously restless. Instead of sleeping, she savoured the calm contact between her and Ava, the beautiful feeling of their bodies pressed together. Even in being reunited, life was still… Stressful. Logically, Beatrice knew that this was going to be the case - they were in the middle of a war! But it still was difficult to deal with sometimes. 

A primal part of her wanted to protect Ava from everything, no matter the cost. She’d already been through so much, it made Beatrice sick to think of Ava suffering any more. This was unrealistic, completely out of the realm of possibility, but that didn’t make Beatrice ache for it any less. With a sigh, she ran a hand through Ava’s hair, making a series of silent promises to herself. 

“Beatrice?” The intercom buzzed with Camila’s whisper. “Are you awake?” Gently, Beatrice extricated herself from Ava’s koala-like embrace to reply. 

“Yes, what’s up?” She mumbled into the device a moment later. 

“Can you come down to the cockpit?” The stress in Camila’s voice was clear - this wasn’t a social call. 

“Yes. I’ll be down in a minute.” 

Everyone, sans Ava, was gathered in the cockpit when Beatrice entered the room. “Where’s Ava?” Lilith asked, surprised to see Beatrice alone. 

“Asleep, why?” 

“Actually, maybe that’s for the best.” Mary’s expression was painfully neutral as she spoke. 

“What’s going on?” Beatrice could feel her anxiety rising by the second. 

“I pulled one of our satellites down to better monitor what was happening in Myre’s Pass following our departure.” Camila explained quietly. “Sio was arrested by the Council, as were several other colonists.” 

“From the departing ship’ flight pattern, there’ only one facility they could have been headed to.” Shannon added grimly. 

“Oh, no.” Beatrice felt cold. “This is bad.” 

“I know.” Lilith nodded. “There’s no way that we can pull off a second prison break there, especially without our man on the inside.” 

“They’ll get everything she knows long before we can do anything.” Mary stated quietly. “She doesn’t know where the OCSF headquarters is, but she knows all our names and faces.”

“If we needed any more proof that the Council is taking us seriously as a threat, this is it.” Shannon muttered. “I’m not sure if we should be happy about that, or terrified.” 

“Both.” Camila keyed a few quick commands into the autopilot module. “As careful as we were before, we need to be even more careful now. When we get back, I’ll need to start work on a bigger version of the Exodus, plus a whole new fleet of deployables.” 

“Not alone, though.” Lilith reminded her. 

“Not alone.” Camila smiled slightly. 

“We’ve all got our work cut out for us now.” Beatrice ran a nervous hand over her hair. “As if we didn’t already have more than enough to do. If the Council is willing to take small players to the black site, they must really be desperate for information about us.” 

“We haven't sent a message to Superion yet for that very reason. We can’t risk anything being intercepted.” Shannon explained. “But once we get back, Mary and I will be tripling security. I don’t think there’s such a thing as ‘too careful’ anymore.”   
“Agreed.” Beatrice nodded. “But we definitely weren’t careful enough tonight. I know I speak for all of us when I say it’s not a mistake I intend to make again.” 

“You do.” Lilith agreed. “The Council has always had its claws deeply embedded in Myre’s Pass. We should have known better. It might have saved lives.” 

“It likely would have.” Camila looked out the cockpit’s massive window as she spoke. “But failures aside, we struck a huge blow to the Council’s ability to manufacture weapons. Hopefully, that works to our advantage in the near future.” 

“And let’s not underestimate the power of this story.” Lilith reasoned. “Ava’s survival was a huge spark amongst the colonies, it’s not hard to imagine this will have the same incendiary effect.” 

“I wonder how Ava will feel about that.” Camila, more intimately than everyone other than Beatrice, was well aware of Ava’s increasingly mercurial nature. 

“Actually…” Beatrice paused, already hating herself for what she was about to say. “I think it’s best that we don’t tell her about this. For now, at least.”


	23. Blank

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ava experiences something new and tensions flare between the group.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as written, beatrice smiles exactly 3 times when she is without ava

A curious sensation consumed Ava’s unconsciousness. From within her nightmare - a hazy recreation of the black site prison - she could feel the electricity that streaked across her mind. Despite being asleep, some part of her marked the bizarre tingling with an inherent wrongness. It wrapped her frantic nightmare in another layer of panic, which caused a painful hitch in her breath and a shaking in her limbs. 

“Ava?” Beatrice’s soft voice pierced through the soundless noise. She held Ava’s slight, trembling form close, trying to be a comforting presence. 

“Hmm?” Ava groaned weakly, stilling in Beatrice’s arms. She opened her eyes a moment later, taking in the worried face of her loved one and the dim twilight that coated the metallic room. 

“Are you okay?” 

For several seconds, Ava’s mind was fantastically blank. Not blank as in: rendered silent by Beatrice’s beauty, which had happened plenty of times. Rather, it was a blank as in: the brain of a newborn, with nary a memory to occupy it. Panic flooded Ava anew as the realisation hit her, she didn’t know who this woman was, who  _ she  _ was, or where she was. Just as quickly as the panic grew, it fell away again, as Ava’s memories suddenly slid back into place. 

It was a disorientating sensation and more painful than one might expect. A wince crossed her face as Beatrice only looked on with poorly disguised worry. She’d silently watched Ava’s change of expressions, subconsciously noting a peculiar  _ differentness.  _ Cold fear made itself at home in Beatrice’s heart and only partially left when Ava finally managed a reply. 

“I… Yes. Sorry…” Ava’s words were slightly laboured, emblematic of the chaos that agonised her mind. “Did I wake you?” 

“No.” Beatrice was honest. Somewhat, at least. “I couldn’t sleep.” What she neglected to mention was  _ why  _ she couldn’t sleep. Already, she was wondering if she was keeping too much from Ava, but at the same time, she couldn’t bring herself to be honest about what happened in Myre’s Pass. 

“Why?” Ava, desperate to create a distraction, or some space, asked a simple question.

“I’m just… Stressed.” This wasn’t a lie, not really, but it sounded hollow all the same. 

“Can I help?” Ava asked at once. Despite her own terrifying internal turmoil, nothing could rob her of her desire to help Beatrice. Or  _ almost  _ nothing. 

“Your selflessness is admirable.” Beatrice sighed, pressing her face into Ava’s shoulder. Something was wrong, but in her tired exhaustion, she couldn’t place it. 

“That doesn’t answer my question.” 

“No. I suppose not.” Beatrice paused, savouring Ava’s warmth beside her. “Stay alive and stay safe. I can’t do this without you.” 

“I don’t mean to be macabre…” Never a good preamble, especially coming from someone who’d technically been dead. “But you did fine without me for two years.” 

“No, I didn’t.” Beatrice was adamant about that. “Perhaps I performed my duties well, but it was… Empty. Nothing I’ve suffered will ever compare to what you’ve been through, but I can count on one hand the times I smiled in your absence.” 

“Surely you’re exaggerating.” Ava’s hopefulness was heartbreaking. “Even I smiled more than that.” Which was true, though Ava had a bad habit of smiling at the worst of times. 

“I’m not.” Beatrice felt a tear streak down her face and damped the fabric of Ava’s shirt. “From the day you left the Anguis, I felt empty. It was as if my insides had been ripped out and replaced with sawdust. My body  _ ached  _ for you, long before my mind caught up to the implications of that primal want. The day I saw you again… There are no words for that.” 

“I love you, Beatrice.” Ava whispered. 

“I love you too.” 

Many hours later, Ava woke up again, alone this time. That in itself wasn’t odd, as Beatrice had left a note on the desk. But the mental blankness accompanied her waking, just as terrifying as it had been the first time. A small, frustrated cry escaped Ava’s lips as her mind ached, before her memories realigned themselves once more. Everything felt fuzzy and odd in recollection, as if trying to remember a dream that was quickly slipping away. 

After a few minutes, Ava felt she had a better handle on herself, and silently wiped the tears from her face. Logically, she knew she couldn’t keep this to herself, but she dismissed the sensation. Given everything she’d been through, some side effects were to be expected, weren’t they? She took a few deep breaths and plucked Beatrice’s note from the desk, while simultaneously trying to stop the shaking in her hands. 

_ Ava,  _

_ I’ve only gone to get breakfast and check in on everyone. I couldn’t bear to wake you up; you need the sleep. I’ll be back soon, but come find me if you wake up before I return. _

_ Love,  _

_ Beatrice _

Unwilling, or unable, to stay confined, Ava slid on her boots and pulled on her hoodie. She was out the door in a minute, desperate for… Something. What that something was, she wasn’t quite sure. In the kitchen, she found Beatrice, Camila, and Lilith, all chatting quietly about neural networks and predictive AIs. It was nothing insidious, nor scary, far from it. The topic was banal and Ava was thankful for that. 

“Ava!” Camila greeted her with a smile. “Good morning.” 

“Good morning.” Ava replied, sitting beside Beatrice, who had poured a second cup of coffee for her already. 

“Sorry, I was coming to bring this up to you, but I got a bit distracted.” Beatrice explained quietly.

“It’s okay.” Ava smiled, despite the weird buzzing in her brain. It was nothing. Probably. Even if it wasn’t, the feeling was fading by the second. “I love discussing the intricacies of how…” Here Ava hesitated, with a devilish smirk crossing her face. “Predictive networks have a massive downfall that no one here seems to be aware of.” 

“Which is?” Lilith seemed genuinely curious as to what Ava would say.

“They’re usually designed by nerds.” Ava completed.

“You’re a jerk.” Camila chuckled. She was happy to see Ava joking around. Hopefully, it meant that yesterday’s failure hadn’t taken too big a hit on her emotions. 

“Yes.” Ava agreed before sipping her coffee with a grateful slurp. “But at least I’m  _ cool,  _ which is more than I can say for you.” 

“Camila fought off half a dozen tanks and several automechs yesterday, using a holopad and machines of her own invention.” Lilith was more than a little bit defensive. “Explain to me how that is uncool?” 

“Oof.” Ava smiled. “It’s not. It’s super cool.” 

“I rest my case.” Lilith crossed her arms and leaned back, clearly satisfied over the completely inconsequential discussion. 

“Ugh…” Camila put her head in her hands. “Don’t remind me. I have to rebuild all of them from scratch when I get back.” 

“Surely it will be easier the second time?” Ava inferred quietly. 

“Yes.” Camila nodded. “And it will be a good time to iron out a few design flaws of the first iteration. But it’s still a lot of work.” 

“Did the original models have tracking modules in them?” Ava asked, suddenly. Beatrice gave her an odd glance, but stayed silent. 

“No, only directional steering modules. Why?” 

“I mean, I’m not an engineer, nor do I claim to be.” Ava was suddenly nervous, evident by the way she knitted her hands together. “But what if the Council forces took one of the deployables?”

“Why would they?” Camila was undeniably curious about where Ava was leading with this. 

“They’re way more advanced than anything I’ve seen elsewhere. If I were them, I’d be stealing as much OCSF tech as I could. You’re giving us a huge edge that we have no right to have.” Ava’s compliment was painfully genuine and entirely correct. “But tracking them might reveal some interesting information about their movements. I could almost guarantee that the Council has more secrets than we’re even aware of.” 

“An interesting point…” Camila turned the idea over in her mind. “I’d have to design something special…” Her thoughts were completely divorced from the women she sat with and entirely focused on hypothetical designs. “A transmitter type that they wouldn’t think to jam…”

“That’s a good suggestion, Ava.” Beatrice said, given Ava’s leg a gentle squeeze beneath the table as she spoke. 

“Thank you.” Ava was happy to contribute, it made her feel less useless. 

“Designing these transmitters might take another week - at least.” Lilith added, though she didn’t seem angry about the reality. “And you’re right, about the Council’s secrets. Even working for the board for years, there’s still so much that I don’t know. So much that I don’t even know how much I don’t know… If that makes sense…” 

“It does.” Ava agreed. 

“Our parents might have answers.” Beatrice stated with clear disdain. “And if Superion sends us to the Twins anyhow…” She trailed off, as Lilith watched her with an odd expression.

“Surely you’re not both suggesting what I  _ think  _ you’re suggesting…” Camila suddenly rejoined their conversation. 

“Using our parents as collateral, or at least for information?” Lilith phrased it callously, as if she were talking about retiring a pair of boots or replacing a component in her gun. 

“Yes?” Beatrice raised an eyebrow, with a scary mask of apathy on her face. Meanwhile, Ava watched her with poorly veiled concern. It seemed as if they were both worried about each other, albeit for different reasons. 

“They’re still your parents.” Camila rose from the table, with surprising anger. “I can’t believe either of you would consider that.” 

“They work for the board.” Lilith replied emotionlessly. “It’s not as bad as the Council proper, but it’s not much better.” 

“I don’t want to stay here for this.” Camila left the room almost at once.

“I…” Ava stuttered awkwardly. “Me neither.” She mumbled, following Camila from the kitchen and leaving Beatrice and Lilith to discuss their parents alone. Tensions were clearly running high after yesterday, and even though everyone had been worried about Ava, it was clear that no one was unaffected. 

This tension bled into their midday briefing with Superion. All six of them stood in her office immediately upon returning, if only to bear witness to her frustrations. 

“ _ Why  _ did no one contact me?” She banged a fist into the desk with surprising fortitude for her age. “I’ve been waiting on a report for an entire day and I’ve been pulling satellites out of orbit to look for you.” 

“It wasn’t safe.” Camila answered quietly. “Council ships were converging on Myre’s Pass and we didn’t want to risk a message being traced. The secrecy of our base is one of very few advantages.” 

“Yet even after you were clear of the threat, I still didn’t receive a message?” Superion inquired with all the kindness of a lion going in for the kill.

“We couldn’t be sure…” Shannon stepped in, though she sounded surprisingly timid. 

“Here at the OCSF, we’ve assembled some of the most adept soldiers in the galaxy - both of mind and skill.” Superion leaned back in her chair as her anger faded to a dim flame. “And you’re telling me that  _ no one  _ could figure out how to communicate your situation?” No one dared speak. “Pitiful. I’d like a full report now, please.” 

“At first, everything went according to plan.” Mary was the only one brave enough to begin speaking again. “The colonists were more than willing to participate, especially after Sio forced Ava to give a speech.” 

“What?” The look that crossed Superion’s face was not one of anger, but instead one of confusion. 

“It was embarrassing.” Ava whispered.

“It was pretty good, actually.” Shannon counted simultaneously.

“It is inconsequential.” Lilith’s voice was stone. “Sio’s office was bugged and when we got to the weapons array, it was guarded only by automechs and tanks.” 

“Which is when you realised the mission had grown far too dangerous and you extracted immediately?” Superion suggested, knowing full well that hadn’t happened. 

“No…” Camila hesitated, but ultimately continued. “Lilith and I stayed at the array with the deployables. We managed to do a fair bit of damage, thanks to the new electrical discharge slugs… The deployables were destroyed, though.” 

“ _ We  _ were nearly destroyed. An ion shell exploded maybe ten feet below us.” Lilith added sharply. “If I’d been a second slower on the draw, we’d both be dead.” 

“Thankfully, you weren’t.” Camila didn’t sound thankful at all. It was clear that there was something unresolved between them. “The cost aside, the weapons array is destroyed. That’s what matters.” 

“Where was everyone else during this?” 

“The rest of us headed to the development facility.” Beatrice explained. “To minimise civilian casualties and destroy the building.” 

“Civilians are inconsequential.” Superion folded her hands. “What of the facility? Did -”

“ _ Inconsequential?! _ ” Ava’s voice echoed sharply as it rose into a yell. “How can you say that? These people are willing to fight for the cause, knowing full well they could die!” Beatrice’s hand wrapped around Ava’s wrist, but she shook it off, taking a step closer to Superon’s desk. “If we discount the lives of those living in the settlements, we might as well rename ourselves to Council 2.0.”

Ava left the room before Superion could reply. “I meant inconsequential as in: if the mission wasn’t successfully completed, they’d likely be killed or arrested.” She sighed, as frustration etched itself deep into her visage. 

“Ava and I destroyed the reactor. The facility is just a scar now.” Beatrice reported grimly. “We were both trapped in a radioactive blast, but we were successful nonetheless.” 

“Shannon and I saved several civilians.” Mary muttered. “Hopefully garnering some goodwill between us and whoever is left in Myre’s Pass.” 

“What do you mean, whoever’s left?” Superion’s worry was clear. 

“A Council ship landed there shortly after we left.” Camila reported. “Sio was arrested, alongside a few other colonists. They’re headed for the black site.” 

“Fuck.” 


	24. The Price We Pay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some tensions flare, some are resolved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i keep telling myself im going to retire from writing, but then i get another idea, so now im stuck writing yet another long ass fic with cultleader!beatrice. -_- end me

_ Winter 2191, Solis 4, OCSF Headquarters _

Beatrice found Ava in a nearby corridor, completely curled up on herself. “Ava?” She whispered, creeping closer to the crying ball of black fabric that was her girlfriend. 

“Hi.” Ava looked up and met Beatrice’s gaze, with a teary smile. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have left the briefing or yelled at Superion… I just… I feel a bit unhinged…” 

“I know.” Beatrice knelt beside her and pulled Ava into a hug. “I know.” She repeated. 

“Should I go apologise?” 

“No, it’s alright. We explained everything. Superion might be a bit harsh at times, but she can be understanding, too.” Beatrice mumbled.

“Are you sure?” 

“Yes.” 

“Thank you.” Ava pressed a kiss to Beatrice’s collar, then her neck. “Seriously. I know you waited two years to get me back, only to have me be an absolute basket case.” 

“I don’t think you’re a basket case.” Beatrice replied quietly. “Given everything you’ve been through, I’m honestly shocked you’re even doing this well. And I mean that as a compliment.” 

“I know.” Again, Ava smiled. 

“We should probably go to the infirmary.” 

“No, please no.” Ava groaned dramatically and leaned her head up against the obsidian wall. 

“Ava.” Beatrice grew more stern. “If I turned the lights off in this hallway, I’m worried you might glow.” 

“And that would be awesome.” Ava retorted, though she did wipe the tears from her eyes and stand up. 

“Until you got cancer and died.” Beatrice responded darkly. 

“You are not fun.” Ava crossed her arms.

“Oh, come on.” Beatrice gave her a quick kiss, before taking Ava’s hand and leading her down towards the infirmary. “And for the record, I am plenty fun.” 

“Mm… okay.” A grin crossed Ava’s face, then fell away just as quickly as she entered the medbay. 

“Ava. Beatrice.” Doctor Sarte looked up from her computer. “Ava, I would have preferred not to see you again so soon.” 

“But wouldn’t you have missed your favourite patient?” Ava’s false glib made Beatrice’s heart hurt. It was obvious that Ava was scared here. One guess as to why.

“My favourite patients are the ones that  _ don’t  _ constantly need medical care.” Doctor Sarte replied humorlessly as she crossed the room. 

“Can’t argue with that.” Beatrice muttered. 

“Alright, each of you take a seat on one of the scanning tables. Can you give me a rundown of what happened?” Doctor Sarte pointed towards the set of tables before withdrawing her holopad from its charging stand. 

“We were in a nuclear explosion.” Ava answered without hesitation. 

“Technically, two.” Beatrice amended. “Though the first one was less severe.” 

“You really know how to get into trouble.” She said this to Ava, who blushed. “Both of you lay down, then we’ll assess from there.” 

“It’s not that I  _ try  _ to get into trouble!” Countered Ava as the increasingly familiar rare earth scanner surveyed her injuries. “It just seems to find me on its own.” 

“Be that as it may…” Doctor Sarte paused as she scanned the list of information that the machine supplied. “You are not invincible.  _ Both  _ of you need to be careful.” 

“I’m careful.” Ava was not convincing.

“Really?” Doctor Sarte didn’t believe her. “According to the equipment, you’re eighty percent more irradiated than Beatrice. Did you use your body to shield her?” 

“Erm… Not intentionally.” 

“We were knocked out by the shockwave.” Beatrice explained. “Ava landed on top of me, so it makes sense that she would have absorbed more of the radiation.” 

“It also explains why you, Beatrice, have significantly more physical trauma.” Doctor Sarte sighed. “Alright. Rad flushes you both, plus various support supplements. Ava, you’re no longer malnourished so I can congratulate you for that.” 

“Thank you.” Ava gave a cursory thanks. 

“Though you need to keep eating and sleeping. You’ve still got a lot of healing to do. Especially since we’re at the start of a war.” 

“Yes ma’am.” Ava bowed her head as the doctor retrieved the requisite medicines from the cabinet. 

Beatrice took her shot like a champ, while Ava squirreled away from it slightly. “Do you know when you’ll be sent out again?” Doctor Sarte asked as she counted out a set of pills for the both of them. 

“Not yet.” Beatrice answered. “But, and perhaps I’m jinxing us, it should be a less violent mission. We’re headed to the Twins.” 

“Perhaps less  _ physically  _ violent…” Sarte didn’t finish her sentence, but the meaning was obvious. 

“Can I ask a question?” Ava wondered once she had swallowed all the required pills with a grimace. 

“You already have.” Beatrice flashed Ava a rare smile. 

“Funny.” Ava didn’t return the gesture. “What are the side effects of my constant flirtations with radiation? Like, I know you’ve taken care of the worst of it, twice now, but am I going to have lasting damage?” The worry in Ava’s voice was palpable. 

“Perhaps.” Doctor Sarte considered the question pensively. “If you develop a fever or all your hair starts falling out, come talk to me.” 

Ava ran a hand through her thick and healthy (read: messy) hair. “Hopefully that doesn’t happen. Thank you.” She didn’t seem relieved.

“Thank you, doctor.” Beatrice stood up as Ava did. 

“You’re welcome.” Doctor Sarte nodded to them both. “Please take care. I’d be happier not to see either of you again for a few months.” 

“If you weren’t a doctor, that’d be quite rude.” Ava joked before exiting the medbay. 

Once they were alone in the dim hallway, Beatrice couldn’t help but ask. “What are you keeping from me?” 

“What?” 

“There’s something you’re not saying.” She rephrased her accusation slightly. Beatrice’s words were sharp, but this came only from her care for Ava, rather than a genuine anger. 

“Why are you asking this?” Ava took a step back.

“Ava, I…” Beatrice paused. She was botching this. “Something’s just… Off. You’re scared today and I’m not sure why. I just… I just want to help.” 

“And you don’t think that could have anything to do with our colossal failure yesterday? Or the fact that I was hunted to the ends of the earth for two years? Or the fact that I died?” Now it was Ava’s turn to be too harsh. 

“Please, Ava.” Beatrice took a deep breath but it did little to calm her frantically beating heart. “I’m not trying to start a fight with you. I just want to be there for you, no matter what. I don’t want you to feel like you have to keep things from me.”  _ God,  _ she was such a filthy hypocrite.

“There’s nothing.” Ava lied. “Really.” Another lie. “I promise.” A third lie. 

“Okay… I’m sorry.” Beatrice hated that she wasn’t sure if she believed Ava. “I trust you.” 

\-----

_ Winter 2191, Solis 6, OCSF Workshop _

Camila was barely acquainted with anger. It wasn’t an emotion she felt often and she prided herself on being a calm and positive person. But right now, she was furious. Throwing herself into work was the only thing for it. Even if her body ached and tears streaked across her face, that didn’t matter. Deployables had to be built, tracking devices had to be designed, ships had to be improved. There was a lot to do - and that was a massive understatement. 

It wasn’t Lilith she was angry at. Or at least, it wasn’t  _ just  _ Lilith. Camila was furious with this conflict, with how much it had taken from everyone. Lilith would likely have to resort to violent, heartless means to get any information from her parents. Her  _ parents.  _ How fucked up is that? Despite Lilith’s outwardly cold exterior, Camila knew she was sensitive and kind deep down. She worried about the effect that this could have on her. But what worried her more was how callous she had been about it. 

Of course, Lilith wasn’t the only one who’d suffered. Shannon and Mary lost their entire team, a ton of friends and allies that they’d been training for over a year. And that isn’t even mentioning the arm that Mary lost along the way. Sure, she loved the cybernetic now, but it wasn’t an injury that came without significant suffering. 

Beatrice had been reduced to a shell of a person upon Ava’s disappearance. Camila had watched the hope fade from her eyes over and over and over again as leads dried up or the Council proved to be one step ahead. And that’s barely scratching the surface of Ava’s suffering - which could fill a library with painful, bloody details. 

So it should be reiterated that Camila never wanted anger in her heart, but the Council taught her to hate. She froze at the realisation, with a half unscrewed bolt hanging loosely off a prototype deployable. Before she could reflect on it too much, the door opened. 

“Cam, are you in here?” It was Lilith. 

“Yes.” Her voice sounded strangled. 

“Where?” Lilith looked around but couldn’t see Camila through the messy and crowded workshop. 

“Behind the prototype on bench three.” She answered in a rasp. Lilith walked over and knelt beside her a moment later. 

“I’m sorry.” 

“Why?” 

“Because I shouldn’t have been so… Violent. Or careless. I don’t know…” Lilith looked down and knitted her hands together. “I don’t want to fight with you.” 

“I’m not angry with you. Not really.” Camila finished unbolting the deployable’s panel and then met Lilith’s gaze. “I hate what this war is making us.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“It’s likely that you and Beatrice both will have to go to the Twins and have a…  _ Conversation  _ with your parents.” 

“Yes.” Lilith nodded.

“A conversation, which if we’re being honest, will be more of a violent threat.” Camila’s hands shook slightly until Lilith took them in her own. 

“Yes.” Lilith agreed again. 

“Is it so naïve or stupid that I want a future where you can make amends with your parents? Rather than threatening to murder them?” Fresh tears splattered the floor. “We’ve all done so much that we regret and we’ve all suffered. We’re… Well, I think all six of us are a bit damaged.” 

“That’s war.” Lilith sighed. “My parents are terrible people. So are Beatrice’s. Conflict aside, I don’t think we would have made up.” 

“They’re horrible people  _ because  _ of the Council!” Camila’s voice rose slightly. “I just resent this. I know we’re only at the precipice, but I’m already exhausted. There’s been so much suffering and the odds seem ridiculously stacked against us.” 

“They are.” Lilith was crying now too, but she wasn’t going to lie. Their fight with the Council was like a lion fighting a mouse. “And there will be more.” 

“I know. And I’m not backing down and I’m more than willing to die for this cause… I just wish… I don’t know. I wish things were different, sometimes.” She hiccuped slightly in her tears and Lilith pulled her even closer, until they were in an awkward embrace on the concrete floor of the workshop. 

“The road only gets more difficult from here.” Lilith whispered as she rubbed small circles on her back. “But you’re not walking it alone.” 

“You probably think I’m a big baby now.” Camila mumbled, though she already felt better with Lilith near. 

“Are you joking?” 

“No?” 

“Camila, you’re strong. Beyond strong. And you’re smart and you’re empathetic and you’re a good  _ fucking  _ person.” Lilith squeezed her a little tighter. “I know that you think the Council has let hate into your heart, and it has, I won’t deny you that. But Superion and Beatrice are in agreement that the Council will try to use that empathy against us. But it’s not a weakness, it’s the OCSF’s biggest strength.” 

“You really think that?” Camila whispered. 

“I mean, OCSF’s  _ second  _ biggest strength is that we have the best engineer in the galaxy building us all sorts of amazing things to aid our fight.” Lilith added with a grin and was delighted to hear Camila give a slight laugh. “And irrespective of the suffering, you’ve built everything in here with love.” 

“I have.” Camila didn’t deny this, it was true. She’d even named most of her creations and her tools. 

“And this war is awful. It is. But in the long term, our intervention could  _ save  _ lives. Your inventions could save lives. Well, they already have, but even more so. I just…” Lilith paused, unsure of how to continue for a moment. “I just don’t want to see your heart get poisoned before we reach the finish line.” 

“You’re a beautiful person and you have a beautiful soul.” Camila breathed as Lilith calmly held her. It wasn’t the first time that Lilith’s analysis of a situation had made her feel markedly better, and it wouldn’t be the last. 

“No I don’t. But if I had, I would have learned it from you.” 

“ _ God,  _ you’re killing me.” Camila said with a grin, before pulling Lilith in for a long, slow kiss. 

“We should…” Lilith was clearly thinking of other things after that - evidenced by the growing redness in her cheeks. “Perhaps get dinner.”

“Agreed. I’m starving, actually.” 

“Me too.” They both rose from the dirty floor with slow, pained movements. It was clear that they were still feeling the effects from the battle in Myre’s Pass. 

“And I’m sorry.” Camila apologised as she led Lilith to the door. 

“What? Why?” 

“For being angry and dumping that all on you and crying and just… I don’t know. Just, sorry.” 

“That’s nothing to apologise for.” Lilith was adamant about that.

“It’s just been a long… Year.” 

_ “ Years.” _


	25. Something Off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Camila takes charge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ive only watched the actual warrior nun series once, and at this point, i have absolutely no clue what is canon anymore

_ Winter 2191, Solis 4, OCSF Headquarters  _

A holographic projection of the Twins illuminated the otherwise dark meeting room. Everyone’s faces looked slightly odd in the blue light, it seemed to highlight the bruised exhaustion everyone was carrying. One night of sleep had done little to change this, anyways, it’d been a restless night for Ava and Beatrice both. 

“The Twins have atmospheric security.” Camila began, manipulating the hologram to zoom in on the interplanetary shield. “There have been uprisings in the past, though you’d be hard pressed to learn about them if you were using Council-affiliated resources. None of them were successful, largely due to these security measures.”

“Is this like the shield around the black site prison?” Mary asked quietly. Ava flinched slightly at the question and Beatrice silently took her hand. 

“It’s similar.” Camila nodded. “We don’t know all of the specifics, since the Council has done a good job of hiding their security details. This makes sense, I would do the same, but it’s still frustrating. If, theoretically, we were able to pass through the shield fast enough, we could escape the worst of its effects.” 

“I feel like there’s about to be a massive caveat here.” Superion grumbled from her post at the head of the table. “We can’t afford detection or loss of life. If it comes down to that, we’ll have to find another way.” 

“Detection is the issue.” Camila signed. “I know that I can get us through the shield without dying, if we take the Exodus. Or maybe Exodus II, since I’m not sure we’d all fit in the smaller ship…” There was a heavy silence here as Camila thought about their technical options. “Okay. I have a plan and it’s  _ not  _ foolproof, but it’s not terrible either.”

“How are you going to manage the hack  _ and  _ pilot the ship?” Beatrice asked. She was several steps ahead of everyone else, as usual.

“Wait, what?” Ava was thoroughly confused, as was everyone except Camila and Beatrice.

“Explain. Please.” Shannon rubbed her eyes. 

“I wouldn’t be piloting the ship.” Camila told Beatrice. “You would be. Then I could focus my attention entirely on the hack.” 

“For the idiots here, can we have a proper explanation?” Mary’s frustration was thinly masked. 

“Undoubtedly, the planetary security system has some form of backup power, just in case. But, and this is honestly a massive oversight, the Twins have only one massive power plant for the entire region. Thus, it’s as simple as faking a flare up and using the window between the powering down and powering back up of the shield.” Camila’s explanation made this seem significantly more easy than it would be. 

“In essence, we cover our entry by an error.” Beatrice added. “We could also have someone throw some chaff into their network, to ourselves harder to detect.” 

“Great.” Lilith was less than enthused. “Then Beatrice and I track down and extort our parents for information.” 

“What’s to keep them from alerting the Council that we were there?” Ava wondered aloud. 

“Nothing.” Beatrice squeezed Ava’s hand beneath the table. “We’ll be gone before then… In theory.” 

“There’s an awful lot riding ‘on theory.’” Mumbled Mary, though she wasn’t wrong in this observation. 

“Agreed.” Superion looked ashen. “And Exodus II isn’t ready for flight.” 

“Not yet.” Camila tried to stay positive. “With some help, it can be ready in a week.” 

“This is, without a doubt, our most critical mission.” Superion stated. “I’m giving you full authority to give orders as you see fit.” 

“Really?” Camila was surprised. This was  _ not  _ a common occurrence. 

“Really.” Superion nodded. 

“Alright…” Camila turned to face her friends, her family. “We’ll set our tentative departure date to eight days from now. I know everything is… Well, stressful doesn’t really cover it… But please  _ try  _ to take care of yourselves.” 

“That seems pointed…” Murmured Ava.

“That’s because it is.” Camilla smiled, slightly, before continuing. “For today, I want Lilith and Beatrice to scour our sources for any information on the Twins. Feed it into our predictive network and see if you can’t turn up any vulnerabilities.” 

“Got it.” Beatrice had already been mentally running through this during the meeting. 

“Ava, I’ll need your help in the workshop. Normally, Lilith would be assisting me, but she’s needed elsewhere more urgently.” 

“Okay.” Ava was eager to help. “Whatever you need.” 

“Thank you.” Camila turned to Mary and Shannon. “Of course, you two get the most fun assignment.” 

“Which is?” Shannon raised an eyebrow.

“I’ve taken  _ some  _ of Mary’s concerns about the Exodus on board. The second model is going to have two guns.” Camila reported.

“Two?” Mary smacked the table for emphasis. “That’s hardly enough! The Crusader has twenty total, plus a bay for explosives.” 

“Yes, but it’s also not setting any speed records.” Camila shook her head. “I need two mountable weapons that do as much damage as possible… Also they need to be under forty kilos.” 

“Please say each.” Mary nearly begged.

“Nope.” Camila would’ve laughed at Mary’s reaction had the stakes not been so high. “Total.” 

“A big ask.” Shannon mumbled, threading her fingers together nervously. “But not impossible.” 

“Definitely limiting.” Mary paused for a moment. “Actually, I have a few contacts we could get in touch with. Might be hard, given our time crunch but we’ll get it done. No worries, Cam.” 

“Glad to hear it.” Camila leaned back in her chair. “Alright. Let’s get to work.” 

“I feel like we should do a cheer or something.” Ava tried to lighten the mood. 

“ _ God,  _ no.” Lilith stood to leave. “I’d rather get shot.” 

“No need to be so dramatic.” Ava muttered, though she wore a smile as she did so.

\-----

_ Winter 2191, Solis 6, OCSF Workshop  _

“Okay.” Ava stood in the middle of the workshop. She was oddly excited, but also felt completely out of her depth. “What do you need me to do?” 

“There are two prototype deployables that only need a few updates… But we should probably focus on Exodus II.” Camila led Ava across the workshop and through the back doors that led to the hangar. “Here she is.” 

The second iteration Exodus ship was slightly bigger than the first, but still smaller than most spacefaring vessels at a scant fifteen metres long. Like it’s predecessor, Exodus II was coated in composite polymer - Camila’s custom stealth blend. This, combined with the mirrored layer gave the ship a bizarre, shiny look. 

“Woah…” Ava looked on in impressed admiration. “I’m not really sure how I’m meant to help you with this… It’s entirely out of my skill set.” 

“Don’t sell yourself short.” Camila tapped the starter chip in her pocket and the ship’s door open. They both climbed aboard. “To save time and resources, both Exodus ships were built from the shells of old messenger ships. They are built for speed, so it was simply a matter of stripping out all of the unnecessary components.” 

“Okay…” Ava nodded along as she stood in the tiny entryway of the half-finished vessel. 

“There’s a lot to strip out, some obvious and some not.” Camila knocked against one of the ship's walls, eliciting a metal clanging echo from the surface. “The walls, for instance. Whoever commissioned this ship ordered them to be made of steel. That’s way too heavy. Right now, I need you to replace all the wall panels with aluminum.” 

“Really?” 

“Yes. It’s a 65.7% reduction in weight.” Camila led Ava back out of the ship and into the workshop. “Here’s the tools you’ll need, plus the aluminum panels… I know it’s not the most glamorous of jobs, but it needs to be done if we want to have this ship ready in time.” 

“Cam, I’m not complaining.” And she wasn’t. Ava was happy to help. “Really.” 

“Okay…” Camila didn’t seem convinced. “Well, I’m going to be installing the new steering system, so we can talk while we work.” 

“Even better.” Ava smiled, genuinely, as she picked up Camila’s drill. “Let’s do some  _ work _ !” She pointed the tool in the air as if it was a starting pistol at a race. 

“You don’t need to pretend to be enthusiastic.” Camila retrieved her tools from one of the tables and headed back out to the ship. Ava followed, drill in hand. “I know this assignment sucks.” 

“You keep saying that, but I really don’t think so.” Ava sighed. “I know I’m not a genius like everyone else here, and I can’t design guns or genius AIs but… Well, I still want to contribute! Despite what Beatrice thinks, I’m not entirely useless.”

“What?” Camila froze. “She doesn’t think that.” 

“No… Maybe… I know…” Ava backpedaled awkwardly. “Just, nevermind.”  _ God,  _ she was ruining every conversation lately. “Sorry.” 

“Ava…” Camila’s plea echoed inside the small ship. “You can talk to me about this. Seriously.” 

“There isn’t anything to talk about.” Ava busied herself and started unscrewing the first of many panels. “Honestly. I’m just… Worse than everyone else here. That’s alright. It’s not any different than CAS.” 

“Are you joking right now?” 

“No?” 

“Ava. Look at me.” Camila stood in the doorway between the cockpit and the ship’s small atrium. “Did you ever consider that your time as a fugitive could have hampered your ability to develop useful skills? Which I’m not convinced that you’re entirely without, by the way. Most people wouldn’t have survived what you’ve been through, and even if they did, I think they’d likely have gone insane.” 

  
“Maybe I am insane and no one has the heart to tell me.” Whispered Ava as she continued to remove the panel from the wall. It was a lousy distraction if we’re being honest.

“You’re not insane.” Camila took a step forward. “You have such a unique viewpoint and it was your idea to put tracers on the deployables. Your story is inspiring, you’re inspiring, and you make everyone want to be a better version of themselves. That is worth so much. You,  _ Ava,  _ are a worthy addition to this team. I promise.” 

Ava didn’t reply right away, but she set the drill down and sat down on the cold floor of the ship. Without any gentleness, she shoved the heel of her hands into her eyes, as if that would stop the sudden flow of tears. She felt unhinged. Camila was beside her in a moment, with a gentle hand on Ava’s back. 

“Sorry.” Mumbled Ava. Her voice was thick with emotion. 

“It’s funny.” Camila replied carefully. “I apologised to Lilith for the same thing yesterday.” 

“You had a cry while trying to build something yesterday?” 

“Yes, exactly that.” 

“Why?” Ava wiped her eyes but the tears started again so she continued to hide her face. 

“I was…  _ Am  _ resentful of what this war has taken from us. Or turned us into, perhaps. I’m terrified it’s making monsters of us all.” 

“You could never be a monster.” Ava was adamant about this. “Never.” 

“I’m glad someone is convinced.” Camila mumbled. 

“Maybe everyone is just as messed up as I am…” Ava laughed slightly. “No offense, of course.” 

“None taken, you’re right.” Camila agreed with a smile. “But seriously, Ava, I don’t think Beatrice thinks you’re useless. Definitely overprotective, but I can’t say I fault her for that.” 

“No, me neither…” A pause. “We’re probably overdue for an honest discussion.” 

“Probably. I think everyone could use a bit of a morale boost right now.” 

“Hmm…” Ava pushed the stray hairs from her face. “I know we have a lot of work to do but maybe we could plan some sort of activity? I mean, we’re going to be working in the ship all day, but that doesn’t mean we can’t bounce ideas back and forth, right?” 

  
“Right.” Camila nodded. “I think that’s a good idea.” She stood and headed back into the cockpit. Her and Ava, true to promise, did discuss ideas on boosting morale all morning. Even in her extended conversations, though, Camila couldn’t help but feel as if there was something  _ off  _ about Ava, even if she couldn’t quite place it. For now, at least. 


End file.
